Cleaning 5 Month Old's Teeth

supermanda · July 2012

DD is 5 months old and is working on her third(!) tooth. Any tips on how to clean her teeth? She is BF and just starting cereal. She seems way too little to use toothpaste, I'm sure she'd swallow it all. TIA.

aprilj77 · July 2012

We use a little brush meant for babies. It basically fits over your finger and has little, pliable rubber bristles. Very gentle on their gums. We also use Orajel toothpaste, also meant for babies (there isn't any flouride in it which can be harmful to babies if swallowed). We put a very small amount on the brush (when I say small, I'm talking maybe one-fourth the size of a pea) and then start brushing the teeth and gums. Our son actually likes it. I'm sure it feels good on their gums. Hope this helps!

firefIy · July 2012

I was actually at the dentist today and asked about this. He said to take a wet wash cloth and just wipe across the teeth. He said this is good enough for the first 6 front teeth. Then once they get more teeth he said you can introduce a baby tooth brush and use it with just water. He said they don't usually see a dentist until the age of 2. I should have asked when to introduce toothpaste, but I didn't.