How to brush your baby's teeth. We brush children's teeth. Professional teeth cleaning for children in dentistry

Every adult pays enough attention to brushing their own teeth, but when a child’s teeth begin to cut in their first year of life, many are lost and don’t know whether babies under one year old need brushing, how to properly brush baby teeth, and what hygiene products to choose for children.

At any age, it is important to maintain oral hygiene for your baby!

The rationality of early oral hygiene

The opinion that the first teeth, called baby teeth, do not require cleaning is deeply mistaken. If you do not pay attention to caring for children's teeth, the risk of caries in children increases many times over. This is primarily due to the lower strength of enamel in primary teeth. In addition, the diet of young children contains quite a lot of carbohydrates (they are found in both breast milk and formula), which are a source of food for bacteria that cause caries.

If you do not clean your teeth on time and do not remove food debris and accumulated plaque from your children’s mouths, bacteria will develop more actively and the risk of caries will increase.

To maintain the health of teeth that have not yet erupted, you need to promptly clean the oral cavity from food debris.

In addition, early manifestations of caries in the form of white spots often go unnoticed in children. The disease spreads unhindered deep into the dental tissues, and when the teeth begin to ache, meeting the dentist will become a serious test for the child’s psyche.

Lack of cleaning and the rapid development of caries cause the loss of baby teeth, which threatens permanent teeth. The infection can spread to their buds and the newly erupted molar will have to be treated by a dentist. There are also frequent displacements of teeth, which at an older age will have to be corrected with plates or braces in order to avoid ridicule from peers and problems with chewing. As you can see, the importance of primary occlusion hygiene is really great.

For proper bite formation, it is important to maintain the health of baby teeth for as long as possible.

When and at what age is it better to start brushing your teeth?

The age period at which a particular child needs to start brushing his teeth will be individual for each baby, because teeth erupt in different ways for different children. A general recommendation for all children is to start brushing their teeth from the moment the first incisor “hatches.”

For most babies, this happens at the age of 6-8 months, but for some babies, the first tooth can erupt at 3-4 months, and for some, the first tooth appears at 11-12 months.

Since almost all babies have at least one tooth by the age of one year, the question “should a one-year-old child have his teeth brushed?” has only one answer - “required”.

The sooner your baby learns to brush his teeth, the healthier they will be.

It is important to take into account that at the moment of teething, local immunity in the baby’s mouth decreases, and the inflamed gum reacts to contact with any objects quite painfully. That's why You need to brush your teething teeth very carefully.

Some dentists insist on starting children's oral cavity cleaning earlier - even before the first tooth erupts. They explain this by the fact that milk and complementary foods get into the baby’s mouth, as a result of which microorganisms accumulate on the mucous membrane even in the absence of teeth. In their opinion, you should start caring for your gums from three to four months of age. This will help your baby develop the habit of caring for his teeth. In addition, babies at this age do not react negatively to the brush.

Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion regarding the age at which you should start brushing your baby’s teeth is in the video:

How to clean it properly?

If the baby has not yet developed a single tooth, brushing simply involves wiping the tongue and gums. The very first teeth are also simply wiped, since even using the softest brush will be painful for the baby. To clean your baby's teeth, you can use:

• A piece of bandage or gauze soaked in boiled water.
• Napkins “Toothpickers”.
• Dental wipes "Spiffies".

The water used to moisten the gauze can be slightly salted. Cotton wool is not used for wiping, since this is not a rough enough material, which, moreover, can leave fibers in the baby’s mouth.

Special wipes for wiping children's mouths are soaked xylitol, which is a safe antiseptic. They protect the oral cavity from thrush and caries, and relieve pain. The wipes can be unflavored or have a pleasant mint, banana, apple or grape flavor. The only disadvantage of such napkins is their high cost, since they are disposable.

From the age of 6 months, when the ejection reflex has disappeared, they begin to use either a silicone fingertip or a classic brush in the children's version for cleaning - with a short handle and soft bristles, as well as with a small cleaning surface area. More often A brush worn on a finger is used until the age of one, and a regular brush is bought for children over one year of age.

Infants' teeth and gums are cleaned using a silicone fingertip

In order for your little one to learn how to properly brush their teeth, you should act gradually:

• At 6-8 months of age The baby is introduced to the brush and allowed to get used to using it.
• Between 8 and 12 months of age The child is shown the correct movements when brushing his teeth.
• From 1 year to 3 years of age The baby is taught to thoroughly brush his teeth.

The frequency of brushing your child’s teeth is twice a day. At the same time, evening cleaning done before bed is more important than cleaning done in the morning, so you shouldn’t forget about it. The duration of each procedure is approximately 2-3 minutes, although the first cleanings may be shorter while the baby gets used to the manipulation.

Follow these rules:

1. The brush should be positioned at an angle of 45° to the child’s teeth.
2. The movements of the brush should be in the direction from the gums to the cutting edge.
3. Cleaning should be done on both the inside and outside of each tooth.
4. To clean the chewing surface, forward circular movements are used.
5. At the end of the procedure, the tongue is cleaned with the back of the brush.

The procedure for brushing a baby’s teeth is clearly demonstrated in a video from the channel. MJmelka:

At what age can a baby brush his teeth by himself?

Invite your child to pick up a brush and try to brush his teeth on his own from the age of one. Please note that under the age of three years, a child is not yet able to clean his teeth properly, so after his attempts to brush on his own, parents will have to additionally brush the baby’s teeth again. However, it is important to support the toddler’s desire to brush his teeth himself.

How to teach a child to brush their teeth on their own?

It is best to teach children how to use a toothbrush by their parents’ own example, because children love to imitate the actions of adults.

A mirror can also help with learning., so while brushing, give your child the opportunity to look at his reflection. This way, the baby will be able to better control his actions and observe the movements of the brush in his mouth.

Tell and show your child that you need to brush your teeth with toothpaste this way:

1. Before the procedure, rinse your mouth with warm water.
2. Squeeze a little toothpaste (no more than a pea) onto the brush.
3. Clean the external, chewing and internal surfaces of all teeth.
4. Rub your tongue with a brush.
5. Rinse your mouth well with warm water.
6. Rinse the brush under the tap and place it in a glass with the head up.

What to do if your baby refuses to brush his teeth?

Many children initially have a negative attitude towards the toothbrush, since it is a foreign object that can cause discomfort in the baby. If your child has a bad attitude towards brushing his teeth, you should not give up trying to accustom your baby to oral hygiene.

Encourage your baby to brush his teeth every day. In addition, try cleaning with different brushes and different pastes.

To interest your baby, brushing your teeth can be made more interesting:

• While the baby is brushing his teeth, sing a song or read a poem.
• Make the brushing procedure a “secret task” during which the child confronts the caries bacteria.
• Take your favorite toy with you to the bathroom.
• Arrange a competition in terms of speed of cleaning, in which parents, of course, will give in.
• Turn on a program on your phone in which a funny character will brush your teeth with your child.

Not all parents know how to properly brush their children’s teeth, but The condition of the erupted permanent teeth depends on the quality of care for baby teeth.. To protect your child from problems with molars, incisors and canines, it is necessary to teach him to brush and rinse his mouth after the very first tooth erupts.

Features of the structure of milk teeth

Baby teeth form in the sixth week of fetal development. Normally there are 20 of them:

• 8 molars;
• 8 incisors;
• 4 fangs.

Temporary teeth consist of the same tissues as permanent teeth:

• dentin (in temporary teeth it is softer and less mineralized);
• enamels;
• pulp.

However, primary incisors, canines and molars have features:

• low crowns;
• large distance between crowns;
• long thin roots that dissolve before the temporary tooth falls out and the permanent tooth erupts;
• thin enamel - only 1 mm;
• wide channels.

The structure of baby teeth is only slightly different from permanent teeth, so they no less need proper care. You can start brushing your child’s teeth after the very first incisor has erupted.. Early training in hygiene will be an excellent prevention against many dental diseases that can affect the primary incisors, and then the rudiments of the permanent ones formed under them.

If you don’t care for your baby’s teeth or care for them incorrectly, your baby will have to visit pediatric dentists already in the first three years of life. Or he may tolerate drilling rotted teeth with a bur, which is painful and unpleasant for a small child, even with high-quality anesthesia.

How to properly clean a baby's mouth

Immediately after being discharged from the hospital, you need to start wiping the newborn baby’s gums with a thick gauze swab dipped in water. You can also wet the tampon in:

• chamomile infusion, if the baby does not have constipation;
• bactericidal infusion of sage;
• St. John's wort decoction, as this plant strengthens the gums;
• anti-inflammatory decoction of calendula.

It is not recommended to use decoctions and infusions of herbs to treat the oral cavity of an infant more than 2-3 times a week, as their abuse can lead to allergic reactions.

Maintaining hygiene, which involves treating the oral mucosa with a gauze swab, is necessary for both newborns who are breastfed and those children who are fed artificial formula. Breast milk does not clean the oral cavity, but pollutes it. If you do not sanitize your baby’s mouth after feeding, then pathogenic bacteria will begin to multiply in it, which can lead to infection of the tooth enamel.

At what age should a child start brushing his teeth?

You need to start brushing your baby’s teeth from the moment they begin to erupt. At first, it is better to perform manipulations without paste, carefully treating not only the first tooth, but also the gum itself. You can use a special soft baby brush or a silicone pad that is placed on the parent’s finger. The last device will serve not only as a brush, but also as a gum massager, which will ease the pain from teething.

You should act carefully during the cleaning process, since the gums near the cutting tooth are inflamed and painful, so infants may react poorly to the hygiene procedure. But you cannot refuse it: during teething, local immunity deteriorates, so the risk of infection of the enamel increases.

More details about caring for the oral cavity of a newborn are described in the video:

How many times a day should children brush their teeth?

Both baby and molar teeth should be brushed twice a day.- in the morning and in the evening. Otherwise, under the influence of salts, acids and sugars found in food debris, caries will form on baby teeth, which will have to be treated by a dentist using professional instruments.

How to properly brush children's teeth

There are several general rules for high-quality teeth cleaning, depending on the age of the baby:

• A child under one year old should brush his teeth using a special silicone pad, which is fixed on the parent’s index or thumb.
• After a year, you can use a brush with silicone bristles and a special limiter, gradually switching to classic models.
• From the age of three, a regular brush with soft bristles is used. It is important that its surface is covered only by two dental crowns, otherwise the hygienic procedure will not be effective enough.

A baby brush needs to be changed every 3-4 months. If the service life has not yet expired, but the brush has already become rough around the edges, you should change it, since pathogenic bacteria can begin to form and multiply between the bristles.

How to brush the teeth of a child under 1 year old

Six months is the age when parents should start brushing their child’s teeth every day. From 6 to 12 months, children are cutting teeth, so during this period it is necessary to sanitize their oral cavity very carefully. The baby cannot yet take part in the hygiene procedure, but can already express his dissatisfaction with sounds and gestures, so the adult should focus not only on the dental cleaning technique, but also on the baby’s sensations.

How to properly brush your first teeth

Key cleaning rules:

There should be about 10–15 movements per tooth. During the procedure, it is necessary to clean not only the dental enamel, but also the inner surface of the cheeks, tongue and gums. You can also brush your one-year-old child's teeth using special dental wipes, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.

Why you need to teach your child to brush their teeth earlier than one year

You should start brushing your baby's baby teeth when the first incisor appears or even before it fully erupts. Complete oral care will help:

• form the correct bite;
• It is good to clean the oral cavity from cariogenic bacteria;
• prevent various diseases, including caries.

How to brush teeth for children over one year old

A child over 1 year old can purchase their first toothbrush with silicone bristles. It costs more than a regular one, but such a waste of money is justified: a brush with silicone bristles will not injure the child’s teeth and will help to thoroughly clean the gums and cheeks. You can use it to clean even your child’s first teeth. However, such brushes quickly become unsuitable for safe use, so they should not be used for a long time.

Rules for caring for a children's toothbrush with silicone bristles

In order for the silicone brush to last longer, you must follow the following rules for its operation:

• Do not boil or even simply pour boiling water over the brush;
• After each use, you should wash it with soap (baby, tar, laundry).

The brush should not be placed in a case; it should be stored in a closed cabinet, in a glass, separately from the brushes of adult family members.

Toothpastes for one-year-old children and infants

To start brushing children's teeth using toothpaste, it is not necessary to wait until the child is one or three years old. Most toothpastes are indicated for children over 2 years of age, however, there are a number of manufacturers whose product lines include good fluoride-free toothpastes suitable for children under one year of age. They are completely harmless and can be swallowed. Such products can be found among the brands:

• R.O.C.S.
• Elmex.
• Splat.
• Lacalut.

Each toothpaste indicates at what age it is approved for use - you need to brush your child’s teeth only with a product that is not contraindicated for him and is suitable for comprehensive care of children’s teeth.

When starting to brush the teeth of a child under one year old using toothpaste, you need to monitor his reaction. Some babies may develop allergies, so at the first symptoms of a rash or an incomprehensible cough, you should stop using the paste and show your baby to a doctor.

Teeth brushing technique with toothpaste

You can start brushing your teeth with toothpaste when the child’s first incisor appears, the deadline is one and a half years. You shouldn’t wait until he develops caries due to lack of proper care.

Brushing procedure with toothpaste:

• a certain amount of paste is applied to a pre-moistened brush;
• the brush is brought at a right angle to the crowns;
• The tooth surface must be cleaned using sweeping movements: from the roots to the tops;
• The inner dental surface is cleaned with short movements, the brush is placed at an angle of 45 degrees;
• the cutting and chewing surfaces of the crowns are processed at the very end;
• after completing the procedure, you should rinse your mouth with water;
• The approximate duration of each cleaning is 2-3 minutes.

2–3 years old is the age when you need to start teaching your child to brush their teeth on their own.

Rinse aids for little ones

Manufacturers of mouthwashes do not recommend the use of such products for children under six years of age, as there is a high risk that the baby will swallow the mouthwash.

How to teach a child to brush their teeth

Many children under 1 year old, and sometimes older children, do not want to brush their teeth, expressing their dissatisfaction in every possible way. In this case, it is necessary to attract their attention to the hygiene procedure using one of the following methods:

• buy a bright brush with your favorite cartoon character and toothpaste with a pleasant fruity taste;
• invite your child to brush the teeth of his toys;
• brush your teeth with your child and compete with him in the quality and speed of brushing.

Each parent independently decides at what age to start brushing their child’s teeth and whether to use toothpaste, but delay can negatively affect the baby’s health. Parents should not only brush their children’s teeth, but also teach them how to properly care for their mouth on their own.

Dr. Komarovsky talks in more detail about children’s teeth, caring for them and teaching a child to brush:

The time to start brushing your baby's teeth depends on the appearance of the first tooth. After all, decayed or lost teeth interfere with good nutrition and speech development.

Useful information from a pediatrician about...

It is necessary to brush your child’s teeth from the moment the first tooth appears. The procedure is carried out twice a day. If you start early, your baby will get used to the brushing process faster.

You can use toothbrushes. They should be very soft and have no more than three rows of bristles.

Throw away any toothbrushes that become rough around the edges or are more than 2 to 4 months old, because pathogenic bacteria begin to grow and multiply on such brushes.

A baby's first tooth will most likely be the lower front tooth. In most cases, it appears when the baby is about six months old. However, the time at which the first tooth emerges can vary greatly. Some newborns already have one tooth! Other children don't develop teeth until they are one year old.

The child will eventually have 20 baby teeth. All this should happen by the time the baby turns 2.5 - 3 years old.

It is best to continue brushing your child's teeth until he or she is at least seven years old. By this age, the child should be able to do this independently.

Do I need to clean my baby's gums before teething?

Even before your baby's first tooth appears, it's a good idea to get into the habit of wiping his gums with gauze or a soft, damp cloth during bath time. You don't need to use any toothpaste. Simply wrap your index finger in a cloth or gauze and gently wipe your baby's gums.

Bacteria in the mouth usually cannot harm the gums until teeth emerge. But sometimes it can be difficult to determine when teeth begin to emerge, so it's advisable to start caring for your baby's oral cavity early.

Introducing your child to oral care should make the transition to brushing their teeth easier later on.

Choosing the best toothpaste for your child

Nowadays, the variety of toothpastes, different brands and flavors specifically designed for children, has increased significantly. Having many options can make choosing the best toothpaste for your child's dental health more difficult than expected.

Choosing the right toothpaste is a significant factor in establishing good oral hygiene habits and maintaining a healthy child's smile.

When giving your child a snack between meals, choose tasty options such as cheese or vegetables.

To really give your child the best chance of healthy teeth, do following:

1. Offer your infant only breast milk, infant formula, or chilled boiled water as drinks.
2. Avoid fruit juices, flavored milk and carbonated drinks. They usually contain a lot of sugar and cause tooth decay.
3. At about six months, teach your baby to drink from a glass. When he is a year old, try to wean him off using a bottle. Give only milk or water to drink at night.
4. Provide your child with a healthy, balanced diet. Encourage him to enjoy tasty foods such as vegetables and cereal. Don't add sugar to your food.
5. If you use prepared baby foods, make sure they do not contain sugar or sweeteners. Remember that other sugars, such as fructose and glucose, are just as harmful to your child's teeth as regular sugar.
6. If your young child needs to take medications, choose sugar-free options.

When you teach your children to brush their teeth, your dental office can help. Developing good oral hygiene habits will help children maintain healthy teeth for years to come.

Parents should pay due attention to the baby’s personal hygiene, including oral care. That is why the question of at what age children should brush their teeth should arise in moms and dads long before they start teething. And you shouldn’t think that baby teeth don’t need cleaning, because sooner or later they will change anyway. In fact, the health of molars largely depends on how well oral care was organized in early childhood.

When to start brushing your child's teeth

Some parents are of the opinion that cleaning is not necessary at all. In fact, they need to be cleaned and treated just as thoroughly as permanent ones, since insufficient and untimely care can lead to the formation of caries, and in particularly difficult cases - to pulpitis and periodontitis. Subsequently, all this negatively affects the formation of permanent teeth.

So at what age do children have their teeth brushed? This should begin as early as possible, literally with the eruption of the first incisor. But the timing of the appearance of baby teeth varies from 4 to 10 months. After a year, fangs begin to erupt, and by the age of two, the baby already has a full set of teeth - as many as 20 pieces.

Basic hygiene, or oral care before teething

Many dentists recommend starting to care for your child’s oral cavity even before his or her first baby teeth begin to emerge. This is a good prevention of candidiasis, or thrush, and will also minimize the inflammatory process when teeth begin to erupt. So at what age do children have their teeth brushed?

Children begin to brush not their teeth, but their gums at about three months, that is, a couple of months before they begin to erupt. To do this, use a gauze swab. To clean the oral cavity, it is moistened in boiled water and immediately after eating, wipe the inner surface of the cheeks, gums and tongue. And about once a week, to prevent candidiasis and dental diseases, it is recommended to moisten a gauze swab in a weak soda solution.

Brushing your first teeth

The very first devices that parents use to clean newly erupted teeth are silicone finger pads. They are intended for massaging the gums during teething and for cleaning teeth before the introduction of the first complementary foods. Then another question arises: at what age can a child brush his teeth?

As soon as the baby begins to get acquainted with adult food, the first plaque forms on the enamel, which is food for caries and, accordingly, needs to be cleaned. Then you can buy your baby a brush. However, the brush can have silicone bristles and can also be worn on your finger. But using the paste is still categorically not recommended. For a one-year-old baby, it is enough to moisten the brush in boiled water and walk it over the surface of the teeth.

How to brush your teeth at 2 years old

When the child is fully introduced to complementary foods and begins to gradually move to the main table, the boiled water with which parents moisten the toothbrush will no longer cope with so much plaque and food debris. Here, the question of at what age to start brushing a child’s teeth should no longer be a question for parents. Two years is the deadline. And urgently and immediately. Otherwise, food debris that gets stuck between teeth that are tightly aligned in a row (and by this age there will already be 20 of them in the dentition) will become food for caries.

That is why, at 2 years old, teeth need to be brushed with a special brush and toothpaste. Moreover, if a child has been accustomed since childhood to brush his gums, and then his teeth, twice a day, then for him the new duty will not become a big problem and he will only do it with pleasure.

So, the child is 2 years old, and the parents’ task at this moment is to introduce him to toothpaste and teach him how to use a brush correctly. But if the answer to the question at what age children brush their teeth no longer arises, then another controversial point follows. Which toothpaste should I buy for my child - with or without fluoride? Can the paste be used for adults?

A two-year-old child is only allowed to brush his teeth with a specialized children's toothpaste. Compared to adults, it contains fewer abrasive substances and has flavoring and aromatic additives. In addition, enzymes, casein, xylitol and calcium are added to children's toothpastes, which improve tooth structure and have a bactericidal effect. For children under 3 years of age, toothpastes that do not contain fluoride are produced. A child can even swallow them without harm to his health.

Technique

The proper cleaning technique is as follows:

1. The procedure for brushing teeth in children is similar to that of adults. The brush is applied to the base of the teeth and is directed upward with sweeping movements. That is, cleaning occurs from the gums to the edges.
2. Similar actions are repeated from the inside and outside, right and left. This method of “sweeping” is necessary to clean all the teeth. In this case, the pressure on the enamel should be minimal. It is important not to damage your teeth or gums when brushing.
3. Chewing teeth should be brushed in a circular motion from above.
4. During the cleaning process, do not forget about the tongue. It is cleaned with the back of a toothbrush, which is exactly what it is designed for.
5. To speed up the process, you can use it. At what age should you brush your child’s teeth with this device? From about three years old, before this age you shouldn’t even try.

Choosing a toothbrush

Another important point concerns the choice of toothbrush. The fact is that the brushes that adults use to brush their teeth are not suitable for children. There are special requirements for choosing this product for children:

1. You should not buy brushes with natural bristles for your child. The fact is that dangerous microorganisms and bacteria accumulate in it, which simply cannot be removed with a stream of water. In addition, natural bristles are hard and can damage the baby’s delicate gums.
2. A toothbrush should be selected according to the age of the baby. If he is not yet two years old, you can use finger pads to care for the enamel and tongue, which also do an excellent job of removing plaque.
3. The size of the toothbrush head should be round and small in size. This will reduce the level of injury during enamel cleaning.

Many dentists recommend buying electric brushes that run on batteries to clean your teeth. Their advantage is that plaque from the enamel and tongue is removed efficiently and quickly. The only drawback is that not all children perceive such brushes adequately. For some, vibration causes fear, and they categorically refuse cleaning.

At what age should a child brush his teeth: E. O. Komarovsky and his recommendations

The famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky gives his recommendations for brushing your teeth. He advises starting this process as early as possible, starting with the first tooth, and recommends using silicone onlays for this. But parents should not forget that all this should happen in the form of a game, that is, the child should like the process itself. This will allow you to develop a positive reaction to the duty of brushing your teeth in the future.

Also, parents should not forget at what age a child should brush his teeth. At a maximum of 2 years old, they should introduce him to brush and toothpaste. Moreover, if a child categorically refuses to fulfill such a duty, he should not be forced. If necessary, you can wait up to three years. The main thing is not to force anyone to brush their teeth. It would be better to use methods in education in which the child will have a desire to brush his teeth on his own, without pressure from his parents.

The key to a beautiful smile for an adult largely depends on how well oral care was organized at an early age. The following recommendations will help many parents avoid mistakes in the future:

1. You should start teaching your child how to take care of the oral cavity as early as possible, namely at three months of age. Then there will be no unnecessary questions regarding the age at which a child should be taught to brush their teeth. Everything will happen gradually, just first the role of a brush will be played by a gauze swab and a silicone pad on the finger, and then by a toothbrush with paste.
2. You should choose a high-quality paste, with a short shelf life and without fluorine in the composition.
3. Preventative dental examinations should be performed twice a year. This will allow for timely detection of diseases and timely treatment of teeth, which will subsequently have a positive effect on the health of the entire oral cavity.

They begin to erupt at 6-7 months, but there are exceptions when the first tooth appears at 4-5 months or at 12-13 months. At this moment, every mother begins to think about how and when to start brushing her baby’s teeth. In this article we will try to give answers to all your questions.

Does my child need to brush his teeth?

Very often you can hear the opinion that a child does not need care for his baby teeth. They believe that such teeth are temporary and will fall out anyway. However, baby teeth are susceptible to caries, which can then cause an infection that spreads through the oral cavity throughout the body. You can tell that your baby is still breastfed or formula fed. However, here and there they contain sugar, which can damage the enamel of your baby’s teeth. And it is better to prevent the development of the disease in advance than to later treat teeth and the consequences of infections caused by problems with lack of oral hygiene. And problems with teeth can even lead to their removal, which will lead to even more troubles: violation of the correct bite, curvature of molars, and even speech defects in the future. Therefore, dental care is mandatory from early childhood.

At what age should a child brush his teeth?

It is impossible to name the exact age of a child at which teeth can be brushed. This is due to the fact that teething occurs individually, on average it takes six months. However, oral care should begin earlier, from 4 months, since all kinds of microorganisms can accumulate on the gums, which can lead to candidiasis or gingivitis.

At the moment when the tooth has just erupted, it is also not recommended to immediately start brushing it. At this moment, the baby’s gums are inflamed and very vulnerable, and you should not irritate them even more.

For example, I didn’t know that care can begin long before the first tooth appears, and I began to treat my mouth only after my son’s first tooth erupted at 6 months.

Dr. Komarovsky generally has his own opinion on this:

It's interesting to note that in this video he already has a completely different opinion, listen carefully:

Baby teeth care products

Even before the appearance of the first teeth, it is necessary to carry out oral hygiene of the child, which will involve treating the gums and tongue of the baby. For this purpose, you can use the following tools:

• There are special dental wipes. They are impregnated with the antiseptic xylitol and also have a pleasant fruity aroma. The baby will love the procedure carried out with such napkins. However, this device is disposable and not cheap.
• Finger wipes with xylitol. They are good to use for cleaning the mouth and small teeth, relieve pain during teething, and also have protective properties.
• A bandage or tampon made of gauze, but not cotton wool. This device must be moistened in warm, slightly salted, boiled water and wiped the baby’s gums and tongue.

Your baby's first toothbrush

The bristles of such a brush should be very soft so as not to cause pain to the child, and the handle should be short enough. Brushes for children are made bright, they also come in the shape of some kind of figures - this is necessary to attract the child’s attention.

There are the following types of toothbrushes:

• Hand brushes. Here you can find devices for both small and older children. An example of such a brush is those that can be placed on a mother’s finger. They will allow you to massage your gums, clear your tongue of plaque, and brush your teeth.
• Electric brushes. With the help of such a device, loosening and removal of plaque occurs much faster due to vibrations and rotational movements.
• Ultrasonic brushes. Using ultrasound, bacteria are destroyed and plaque is removed.

When choosing a brush for your baby, you need to follow some rules:

1. The handle of the brush should be thick so that the baby can hold it comfortably.
2. You should not buy a brush with natural bristles - it is a source of bacterial growth.
3. The bristles on the brush should be grouped (23 or more).
4. The cleaning surface of the brush should be soft enough.
5. The length of the brush head should not exceed 23 mm

Choosing a toothpaste for a baby

Today there are toothpastes created specifically for children's use.

They are distinguished by a lower content of abrasives and the presence of flavoring and aromatic additives, as well as a large amount of useful substances (enzymes, calcium, xylitol) that strengthen the teeth and protect them from pathogenic influences.

It should be noted that for children under three years old there are toothpastes without fluoride. And for older children - with a high calcium content.

Rules for brushing your baby's teeth

In order for your baby to grow healthy and strong teeth, the following rules should be followed.

1. Even before the first teeth appear, treat the baby’s oral cavity with a bandage or gauze swab moistened with warm, slightly salted, boiled water to remove plaque. The same applies only to teeth that have erupted.
2. From 10 months, start brushing your teeth morning and evening, first using only a toothbrush, and then toothpaste, preferably with a pleasant taste.
3. From the age of three you can start using toothpaste containing fluoride. The main thing is to monitor your baby so that he does not swallow the paste.
4. From the age of 6, a child can begin to be taught to use dental floss.

How to brush a 1 year old child's teeth

From the age of one year, the baby can begin to use a brush with a long handle, specially made for children's use.

The main thing is to teach your child to brush their teeth correctly from an early age. Here is the sequence of actions:

1. First you need to moisten the brush with water.
2. Then you need to tilt the brush at an angle of 45°.
3. Start by moving gently over your child's teeth.
4. Work from the top of the gums to the top of the teeth.
5. Clean your teeth from plaque, explain to your baby what you are doing and why.
6. If your child wants to try it himself, support him.
7. Show your child how to rinse the mouth and spit out the paste.
8. The baby should brush his teeth for at least two minutes.

Teaching your child to brush their teeth on their own

To teach your child to use a toothbrush himself, you need to become an example for him. Carry out the procedure for cleaning the oral cavity together. The baby will try to do everything, just like his mother.

You can also use a mirror. The child will be able to admire himself, it will be easier for him to observe his movements.

Buy your baby a beautiful bright brush and fruit-flavored toothpaste.

In addition, you can turn this procedure into a game:

1. Sing a song, recite a poem. And the baby will brush his teeth in time with your words.
2. Tell your child that by brushing his teeth, he will be able to drive out the bad germs that have settled there.
3. Let him take his favorite toy with him so that it is with him. You can let your baby brush his teeth with a toy, or even with you.
4. You can have a competition to see who can brush their teeth first. Make sure the baby wins.

If you do everything correctly, then by the age of four your child will be brushing his teeth himself.

My baby refuses to brush his teeth, what should I do?

It's rare to find a child who enjoys brushing their teeth. What to do if the baby does not allow the procedure to be carried out and begins to be capricious? I offer you a number of tips to help make this process easier:

1. The procedure of brushing your teeth can be turned into a game. Let someone distract the child and concentrate his attention on himself. If necessary, sing songs and recite rhymes. For example, I told the kid a fairy tale about a small brush that my son needed to clean his teeth with and that he would send to other children to do the same.
2. When cleaning your mouth, try using different products. Perhaps the baby doesn’t like the fingertip or the brush is not soft enough, or the toothpaste has a nasty taste. Experiment. My little one liked the strawberry flavored pasta the most.
3. And most importantly, do not force your baby to brush his teeth by force or threats. It will only ruin everything. Set someone as an example and encourage them to try brushing their teeth every day.

Proper oral care means healthy teeth and a beautiful smile. Dental care promotes the formation of a correct bite, the normal development of permanent teeth, and protects against caries and bacterial growth. Teach your child to take care of his teeth from childhood. This will be the key to his accuracy and good health.