Toothpaste

We started using fluoride free tooth paste (my daughter takes fluoride) at 18 months. It helped cut down the struggle with teeth brushing. I don't use a lot and it's made so it's ok if she swallowed some.

Hi Abbie,
I recommend using a toddler toothpaste without fluoride until at least around 4 yrs old. I really like any one that has Xylitol like OralB Stages Baby. Xylitol is great. Google it to see why. Also make sure you are brushing your child's teeth as they really can't do an adequate job until 5-6 yrs old. Once your child is able to really rinse and spit, try using a disclosing rinse to help them see where they are missing. In fact, many adults could improve their oral hygiene by using a disclosing rinse!
Sincerely,
L.

PS Email me if you have any another dental related questions.

Usually you would start brushing your child's teeth with toothpaste around age 3. If they insist on swallowing, you can purchase a natural toothpaste like Tom's of Maine for Children, without flouride.

I started to brush my daughters teeth when she was about 18months old. I bought the infant toothpaste that is ok to swallow. I only put less then a pea size amount on her toothbrush and that is plenty.

I started when my son started getting teeth so at about 6 months. I use oral b's infant toothpaste.

They sell special baby and toddler toothpaste, you just have to look for it. I think started toothpaste around 1 year. It's made to be okay if they swallow a little (clear and non floride) and it tends to be fruity rather than minty flavored. My son still (3) uses a special kids paste most of the time, although he occassionally asks to use my "spicy" paste.

As long as you use a toddler paste, just tell them to spit. As they practice they'll get better. You're only using a tiny bit anyway, not like you do on your own brush, so there isn't much there to swallow.

Hope this helps,

T.

My understanding is babies need to have their teeth brushed as soon as they have some. I have even heard it is good to gently brush their gums before teeth come. My kids still use Weleda's toothpaste for children. It has no fluoride and no sodium lauryl or laureth sufates. It has a slightly sweet / minty taste, but is mostly calendula. It is very mild.

I don't recommend Tom's of Maine because of the sodium lauryl sufate which for our family caused many painful canker sores. As soon as I switched to Weleda, we had no more canker sores.

I DON'T recommend waiting until age 2. By age 2, my eldest daughter had 4 cavities!!! 2 of which were on her front teeth. I immediately started brushing my younger daughter's teeth (what few she had) after going through the nightmare of having 4 cavities filled in a 2 year old and she has only had one cavity in her 11 years. I have seen SO many young children at the dentist office with silver caps on their teeth and having to have teeth pulled because they are rotted so badly. So as an experienced mother, I highly recommend brushing as soon as possible.

As far as getting them to understand not to swallow it, you don't until they are older. Just use a very small amount, so it doesn't matter if they swallow it or not and use a brand that doesn't have fluoride or sodium lauryl sulfate. You'll have to do the brushing for them for a while until they are mature enough to handle it on their own and do it well. My kids are 11 and 12 and still need a 2 minute timer to make sure they do it long enough, LOL!

I started using a toddler toothpaste around 2 years old (without fluoride). We used that for my older daughter until she was probably 3.5 or so, and then switched to the fluoridated toothpaste when we saw that she was not swallowing it anymore. As a side note, and I know this sounds crazy, but what really got the message through to her was watching Sprout TV's bedtime show, with Nina and Star - Star sings this silly song about brushing his teeth and she just loved it, especially the "...and then you SPIT, and that's IT!" part. She would spit with great flourish.

Anyhow, with my younger daughter, she's been on fluoridated toothpaste since she was 2, because she saw her big sister brushing her teeth and wanted to do it too, and honestly it was just too much hassle to buy 2 kinds of little kid toothpaste. It makes it easier if you have an older child that the younger child can copy.

Happy brushing!

My daughter is 3 and I still use the infant/toddler toothpaste made by Oral B that is ok for them to swallow (it is flouride free). I have started introducing her to a childrens toothpaste that contains flouride. She understands that she has to spit with the 'big girl' toothpaste and not swallow. For the most part she still wants to use the 'baby' toothpaste, and sometimes asks for the other because she wants to spit :).

Abbie,
Use a mild one for kids that is bubblegum flavored. The mint is to spicy for them. We started it as soon as they had teeth to brush. They did not want to swallow it on thier own. Even if they do, a little won't hurt.
W. m.