cleaning Teeth

Mrs.EMS

LO has her bottom 2 teeth and working on getting her  top 2. I have not been really cleaning her mouth except she chews on alot of fabric ie. burp clothes and lovey's. She gets a bottle before bed and for the most part falls asleep quickly after. I don't mess with her so she won't wake up...  Should I be cleaning her teeth after the night time bottle? What's your routine?

cassoppea

I'm a dentist so I'm probably a little more crazy (can you imagine the embarrassment if my child got a cavity?). I use a soft bristled brush with a very small amount of toothpaste before bed and in the morning. I wipe the excess toothpaste with a cloth. If she falls asleep nursing I will still brush her teeth. She's used to it now and usually doesn't wake up. It is recommended that you use a toothbrush once the teeth come in to brush at least twice daily.

inthewater

cassoppea:

I'm a dentist so I'm probably a little more crazy (can you imagine the embarrassment if my child got a cavity?). I use a soft bristled brush with a very small amount of toothpaste before bed and in the morning. I wipe the excess toothpaste with a cloth. If she falls asleep nursing I will still brush her teeth. She's used to it now and usually doesn't wake up. It is recommended that you use a toothbrush once the teeth come in to brush at least twice daily.

As a dentist - are you using regular toothpaste or the one designed for babies? Just curious about the fluoride concerns. TIA!

Mrs.EMS

oh,, i have a flouride ? too... we don't give a supplement and we use water that doesn't have it in it? Should we doing something to add more in her diet...UGH. to much to know!

cassoppea

I use a childrens toothpaste with fluoride. But a very very tiny amount. Like a smear that covers a few bristles. So if she swallows it it's ok. I also wipe the excess with a cloth so she isn't ingesting much. For fluoride supplements - if your LO really isnt exposed to any fluoride then he/she should be on a supplement. If your child is on formula, some formulas have fluoride in them so check and make sure. You can discuss this with your dentist to make sure there are no other sources of fluoride before he/she is put on a supplement. Topical and systemic fluoride work differently and both are important to preventiong decay. HTH!