Brushing teeth

[nat12]

I posted this on another forum but I'm not sure if it fits there...ds has his 5th tooth coming in at 8 months. I've been using one of those fingertip toothbrushes (after realizing that gauze doesn't prevent the pain from him biting, lol) but I haven't been using toothpaste. I've been hesitant because, even though I realize it's made for infants, when I look at the ingredients I just wonder if I want my baby ingesting all that stuff. Should I be using an infant toothpaste at this point? If so, what brand would you recommend and how many times a day? Thanks!

Natalie
Ethan 6/14/03

[boys2enough]

Hi, I am using the finger brush on my 15 mo as well, and ouch, he did bite me a few times as well. ;-)

While I do use the Gerber Baby toothpaste, and trust (blindly?) the claim that it's safe for babies to swallow, I don't think it's necessary to use toothpaste at this age. My Pedi doc told us that wiping with wet cloth is sufficient enough at this age. I only use the toothpaste because Gabriel likes the taste and that's the only way I can get him to open his mouth for me. lol. He is my second child, so at this point, I've learned to do whatever is the easiest, probably an attitude that sounds horrible to some moms here... lol. ;-)

if you do decide to use toothpaste, other than gerber, Tom's also makes organic all natural toothpaste. Maybe you'll feel better about that? Just my $0.2, HTH, and good luck! Cheers, Lin

[mteve]

Hi Natalie-

I am a dentist and here is the latest information I have on toothbrushing and use of toothpaste:

-use the fingertip brush without toothpaste prior to 12 months of age
-if you have a child who is high risk for tooth decay, start using a "rice size" amount of toothpaste with fluoride at 12 months. Otherwise I would delay use of flouridated toothpaste until your child is at least 24 months. (I consider a child high risk if: you (mom) have recently had cavities filled yourself, you have another child with cavities, your child is frequently exposed to sugar throughout the day, your child goes to bed with a bottle at night, or you notice small white spots along the gumline of your baby's teeth.)
-at 3 years of age, use a "pea size" amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush- this amount is probably adequate until your child is 7 or 8 years old.

Some basic facts regarding tooth decay in children:
-tooth decay is an infectious disease
-cavities are caused by a bacteria called Strep mutans
-70% of children get Strep mutans from their mother. The other 30% of kids get it from other family members or children. The bacteria are passed by sharing utensils, kissing, cleaning your child's pacifier with your own mouth, etc.
-not all Strep mutans are created equal - some are "SuperBugs" - in other words they are extremely good at sticking to teeth and using the sugars your child eats to create acids which destroy tooth enamel thus causing cavities.
-if you had lots of problems with cavities as an adult or child, you likely have "SuperBugs" and could easily pass them to your child
-"SuperBugs" can be kept in check and cavities prevented by keeping sugar to a minimum and low frequencey in your child's diet, using fluoridated toothpaste, and mom or dad brushing your child's teeth at least once per day until your child is 7 or 8 years of age.

Sorry to inundate you with info, but I am passionate about prevention of tooth decay in kids.

Eve
expecting Knox Edward May 13

[nat12]

Thanks, ladies. And Eve, interesting facts, not inundated at all, I can never receive enough info, lol, thanks!

Natalie

[etwahl]

eve, THANK YOU! i think i have super bugs :(

and i do share a spoon with her and kiss her, etc. so i'm sure she's going to get it. dang.

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com