Baby teeth are temporary. The habits around them are not. What happens in the first two years sets up how a child’s mouth looks, feels, and behaves for years afterwards, so it is worth a little attention early, while it is still easy.
Before the first tooth
You can start before there is anything to brush. After the last feed of the day, wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp cloth wrapped around your finger. It takes ten seconds; it keeps the mouth clean, and it gets your baby used to the idea that someone looks in there every day.
When the first tooth arrives
Most babies get their first tooth at around six months, but anywhere between four and twelve months is perfectly normal. A late first tooth, on its own, is not a reason to worry. Once it is through, move to a small, soft-bristled brush, twice a day.
Toothpaste
Use a fluoride toothpaste. A smear the size of a grain of rice up to about three years, and a pea-sized amount after that. Small children swallow toothpaste, so the amount matters far more than the brand. Do the brushing yourself until your child can write their own name neatly; before that, their hands are simply not steady enough to do a proper job.
The bottle at bedtime
This is the most common cause of early tooth decay we see. Milk, juice, or any sweetened drink left pooling around the teeth all night feeds the bacteria that cause cavities, and the upper front teeth go first. If your baby needs a bottle to settle, make it plain water.
Sugar: how often, not how much
A whole sweet eaten at one sitting does less damage than the same sweet nibbled through an afternoon. Every time sugar enters the mouth, the acid attack that follows lasts about twenty minutes, so sipping juice from a sippy cup all day keeps that clock running all day. Keep sweets to mealtimes and water in between.
Teething
Sore gums, drooling, and a determined urge to chew are all normal. A clean teething ring cooled in the fridge, not the freezer, helps — and there is more than one kind, so we have written separately on how to choose a teether for your baby. What teething does not cause is fever, loose motions, or a cough. If your baby has those symptoms, something else is happening, and you should have it properly examined instead of blaming a tooth.
The first dental visit
By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing, whichever comes first. That first visit is mostly a look and a conversation. Going early means the dentist becomes a familiar face, rather than a stranger your child meets for the first time in pain.
Thumb-sucking and dummies
Both are normal in the early years, and most children give them up by themselves at three or four. Do mention it to us if the habit is still strong past four, because that is the point at which it affects the way the permanent teeth come in. There is a fuller note on this in Thumb-sucking and pacifiers — know when to intervene.
When to bring your child in
A white or brown spot on a tooth, a tooth chipped in a fall, a swollen gum, or a child refusing to eat because their mouth hurts — all are worth a visit. Small dental problems are quick to fix. The same problem six months later usually is not.
Related reading: Teeth grinding in children · Does my baby’s tongue need cleaning?