How to Brush Baby’s Teeth

Oral health happens to be one of the most crucial yet ignored aspects of health. Your smile is the first thing observed by the onlookers, and your mouth is the entryway to the body. So, taking care of your baby's oral health is vital. Here you will learn how to brush baby’s teeth as oral care is best started as early as possible.

When you find the first tooth bud popping after watching your child drool for months, it may fill you with a sense of relief and joy. It is time that the gummy smile of the baby is replaced by two rows of pearly whites for the next two years or so.

The temporary chompers of your baby can be small, but even so, they are also significant. They happen to the placeholders for the adult teeth. These teeth are essential to help the baby chew and speak. That is why caring for the baby teeth and keeping them free of decay is critical.

The baby teeth begin to appear about six months from the birth of the baby, and until the child is 13-14 years old, they remain like that.

If the baby teeth are lost or decayed early, there can be chances of issues arising in case of speech development and achieving proper nutrition. Moreover, these teeth as said earlier, are also placeholders for the adult teeth to arrive and they may make the permanent ones to appear in a crooked manner if not taken care of well.

Moreover, if you start early, it will also help you to develop excellent oral care habits in your child that will benefit her for a lifetime.

Added to that, baby teeth are also subjected to issues like teething, childhood decay and often exposed to an overdose of sugary diet that needs to be combatted. So caring for the baby teeth and keeping them clean by regular brushing is absolutely important.

How To Brush Baby's Teeth

Here are some tips that you can follow for brushing your kid’s teeth. This way you can ensure that she can smile beautifully without any oral problem for years together. Take a look.

• For up to 3 years old, you should use a tiny smear of toothpaste for your toddler. For kids aged between 3-6 years, you should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

• Gradually, by covering all the surface, you should start brushing the child’s teeth thoroughly. You should do this at least for a couple of times every day, at any time of the day for in the first case and just before going off to sleep for the second one.

• The simplest way to brush the teeth of the baby is by sitting the kid on the knee with your chest being her headrest. When your child grows up, you should stand behind her and brush by tilting the head to the rear side.

• Go for small circles while brushing the teeth and cover all the surfaces. Make the child spit the toothpaste afterward. There is no need to rinse with water as that will wash the fluoride away.

• To ensure that your kid gets the right toothpaste amount you should supervise the brushing technique of your kid. See to it that they do not end up licking the toothpaste from the tube.

• You should go on assisting the kid in brushing the teeth until you can rest assured that she can do it right by herself. Usually, kids can start brushing correctly when they are about seven years old.

What to Do If the Baby Does Not Like Brushing?

• Involve a Toy 

Place the kid’s favorite cuddly toy near the sink. Then the toy’s teeth have to be brushed while the kid brushes her teeth. Tell the little one that the toy does not like to brush the teeth all by itself.

• Take Care and Don’t Impose 

The gums of the baby are sensitive even when she is not teething. So if your baby hates the brush, you can opt for a softer washcloth or toothbrush.

• Make Her Feel like a Grownup 

Another trick is to brush along with your kid. Copying adults are one practice that the kids love and as your little tyke gets a chance of doing something similar to her mom or dad, she is likely to grab the opportunity. You should brush the teeth thoroughly and set an excellent example for her to follow. You must brush the rear teeth and also not leave behind scraping your tongue. You should also show some excitement to do the task as well and flaunt your beautiful teeth at the end of brushing.

• Let Her Play

Your baby will be quite curious about the finger brush or the toothbrush. You can also let the little one hold the toothbrush and examine it. She may also put the toothbrush in her mouth all by herself.

• Reward Correct Brushing

Your toddler is said to respond better when there are rewards involved. Apart from gaining rewards for finishing off their breakfast or for behaving well, rewards are an excellent way for encouraging her to do any task that you want her to do. For the continued success, you should start with something that your kid has been asking for quite some time as a reward.

The above are some of the tips for brushing your baby’s teeth. These are suggested by the most reputed kid's dentist who has been in the industry since many years now and can guide you about how you can take care of your child’s oral health so that she can retain a million dollar smile and excellent oral health for years to come.

Author Bio:

Sawoni Chowdhury is an aficionado of writing. She is an expert writer and blogger and shares her views and opinions on a range of topics such as Lifestyle, Business, Entertainment and a lot more.

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