Paci & Brushing Teeth

Can't help with the pacifier as mine didn't use them but I think 1 might be pretty young to take it away. I usually hear people doing this around 2ish.

As for brushing the teeth. The earlier you start the easier it will be in the long run. Start with just wiping the gums when they have no teeth then after they have teeth move on to a toothbrush and try to brush morning and night. At the least, brush before bed but try to get in the habit of twice a day. You'll want to be the one doing the brushing until your daughter can brush all her teeth on her own for about 2 minutes. This is usually around age 5-7. With both of mine, ages 2 and 5, I brush their teeth and get all the sugar bugs and then I let them have a turn. Also, make sure you buy her the right size toothbrush - too big and it may hurt and non-fluoride toothpaste. With mine when they were younger, we would sing the ABC's twice while brushing.
Good luck!
M.

My Dr. says twice daily and my son is 8-3/4mo. 1 is too late. The Dr. says pasi should go no later than 18mo. I wouldn't worry about that now. but wipe her teeth! I use a Q-Tip because it is more gentle. But he says at a year I can use a toothbrush and baby toothpaste.

The ped and a ped dentist would tell you now is the time. I took my daughter's away at about 13 months, plus my g/f said the paci would interfer with her speech, I dunno about that one.

Dear K. H, my son was about 2 1/2 when I was finally able to get rid of the mug plug for good. I tried to do it earlier, but I had a mother-in-law that had a secret stash. Did I mention I am a dental hygienist? Technically there is no set age that you are required to get rid of it, but most orthodontists, and pedodontists reccomend 18 months tops. If you wait past the 18 months, you have a chance of the palate to take on a new form. That means extensive ortho later on. I know your daughter will be devastated when she can't find her paci, but TRUST me it takes two nights, and she won't even remember. I recommend you "accidentally" lose it now before she starts becoming smarter to the situation. P.S. the bottle is next: )As for her teeth brushing, take it easy on the toothpaste. Too much is toxic. Just a tiny smear of children's toothpaste. You are ok if you miss brushings from time to time, as long as you are not putting her down with a bottle (unless it's water), or feeding her sweets. Good luck.

Age 1 is a great time to start brushing teeth.
It's part of our routine with my little girl and we started right around her 1st birthday.
My baby boy is almost 9 months old and i think i need to start soon with him, he has a lot of teeth in there.
It's so cute to help them learn new skills!
Have fun and ooh, my little girl and i just went to the store and picked out some fun, character tooth brushes and that was a special treat.
:)
Happy mothering!
S.
www.MomsOnAMission.US

Hi,

It's a good time to start limiting the pacifier. Often, with toddlers, out of sight, out of mind. Allow her to use it at times that would be most difficult for her to let go of it. But while playing through out the day, try to keep it out of sight. If she asks for it, you can redirect her to another activity. But be sure not to ignore repetitive requests.

As for brushing teeth, it is important to cleans the gums and teeth at any age. A crucial part of the day is before sleep. When asleep, less saliva is produce which is the body's way to cleanse the mouth.

Everyone should brush their teeth after eating (yes, even snacks). But it usually doesn't happen. Try to keep brushing to a minimum of 2 times a day (morning and night). But it doesn't hurt to do it more often. It is important that you give her the opportunity to brush her own teeth and then you finish up. Having her brush her own teeth allows her to have some independence and practice. Having someone follow-up ensures that the teeth are clean (usually at age 4 is when kids have the dexterity to do an appropriate job)and also models for her the correct way.

It's a good idea to sing the ABC song for the duration of brushing (don't sing too fast). It can give you a time frame to stay within--not to mention she'll learn then too. To brush her tongue you can help her sing "La La La La La La La" (sung to the tune of a singer warming up).

Good oral hygiene will help her to stay healthy in her mouth and for her whole body too. :)

(here's a site with more information on that)
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/periodontal_disease__rick...

brush her teeth when you brush yours.

I can't help you with when to get rid of the paci because we never introduced one to our son (who's a year old).

But, about brushing the teeth, you should be doing it everyday. We sometimes forget too, but something that has made it more fun (and therefore easier to remember to do) is I bought one of those vibrating toothbrushes for kids (it's Sesame Street, I think - $6) and now my son LOVES to brush his two teeth. He watches his dad and I use our Soincare toothbrushes, so now he has his own that buzzes and vibrates. It looks like it feels so good on his sore gums. He wants to do it at least twice a day, so we're happy about that!

Hey there. I have four boys - 4,3,2 and 10 month olds. We took the paci away from the first three early to prevent dependancy. Our baby, we weren't as successful. We plan to take it away in two months. I do have a few girlfriends that waited until two and let their child help throw it out. I think it's personal preference. I know that we are working on only letting baby have his paci in the crib for sleep. That has helped tremendously.
As far as brushing teeth - I had the same problem. I find that when I brush my teeth is when I have all my boys brush and they always brush before bed. That helped get us back on track. Hope that helps!