When To Start Brushing Your Baby’s Teeth | Paediatrician
A consultant paediatrician, Dr. Ayodele Renner, has urged mothers to brush their baby’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste and baby toothbrush once the infant’s teeth erupt.
The childcare expert explained that there are no dangers in the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste for babies as long as it is the recommended size.
However, he stated that before a baby grows any teeth, the parents can use water twice a day to clean the mouth of the child.
According to the expert:
“Before babies erupt teeth, twice daily cleaning the mouth with water is what should be done with a washcloth or silicone finger baby mouth cleaner.
“I have heard people talk about glycerine but it is not recommended. This cleaning with water can start from the moment the baby begins to feed.
“When the teeth erupt, they should be washed twice a day with a rice grain-sized amount of fluoride-containing baby toothpaste using a baby brush.”
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He noted that it is important to brush a baby’s teeth as soon as teeth erupt to avoid tooth decay and pains, adding that some of the issues the child may suffer in the long run like bad breath, tartar, and plaque build-up could be as a result of not introducing teeth brushing to the child early enough.
According to healthline.com, a wellness information site, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends that babies should be switched to a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste as soon as their teeth start to erupt. It, however, explained that babies only need a very small smear of toothpaste — no more than the size of a grain of rice.
This size recommendation, experts say, is to reduce the chances of the child developing any complications from swallowing excess fluoride.