Brushing basics for toddlers

Good dental hygiene begins even before the child gets his first tooth. Although, the primary set of teeth are going to fall off, making way for the permanent ones, it is however necessary to take care of the initial ones right from the very beginning as certain problems that start with primary teeth can cause malformation of the permanent teeth.

Early beginnings

Dental care begins as soon as the first tooth is out. As far as cleaning the teeth is concerned, a gentle finger massage is the best thing to start with.

One can use a soft cloth wrapped around the finger to clean the teeth after the baby has taken his feed.

Clean the teeth and the area around the teeth gently taking care that the soft gums are not massaged too hard.

Constant and prolonged use of soothers can lead to mal-alignment or protrusion of teeth. It is advisable to use soothers sparingly specially once the child is over six months.

Enter Brushing

Brushing should start when the child starts to co-operate. Initially, mothers should take onto the task of brushing the teeth of the toddlers, however, later on one can take the child’s hand in ones own hands as one guides the child through the brushing technique. Any kind of movement, circular, up-down-up or sideways is fine, as long as each tooth is cleaned throughly from all side.

Choosing a brush

The softest one can get is the bottom line for bristles. Soft, multi-tufted nylon bristle brush is the best once the child has acquired his complete set of primary teeth. The head of the brush should be small and narrow and the handle can be of any size or shape as long as it gives a good grip.

The baby’s brush should be changed as often as once a month or as soon as one notices flowering bristles.

Choosing the right toothpaste

As small amount of swallowing is inevitable when the child is small, the toothpaste should be such that contains no fluoride, as excess fluoride can lead to a condition called Fluorosis.

It is best to avoid fluoride toothpaste till the child is over five years of age.

Moreover, a cavity should be attended to and filled as soon as it is noticed. If at all a tooth is to be extracted, it is advisable to get a ‘space maintainer’ put to avoid crowding or over-lapping of teeth later on.

Also, if the child has protruding teeth, or too gapped teeth, go for cosmetic corrections only after the secondary teeth have replaced the primary teeth's.