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It’s something every first-time parent has to go through. Yet, it’s rarely ever talked about. Of course, you’re going to have to start brushing your kid's teeth at some point, but when? How? Your child is going to go from having no teeth to growing teeth that need to be protected and cared for. So when do you know it’s time?
When to Start Brushing Your Kid’s Teeth
The General rule of thumb is that you can begin brushing your child’s teeth at around 12 months. This is only an estimation, so if your infant can tolerate it, then you can consider starting earlier. You’ll want to get a child’s sized toothbrush, one that includes soft bristles. An infant’s teeth can not handle harder bristles that adults use.
Why Children’s Oral Hygiene is Important
It’s vital to start at this age because this is when their first teeth will be coming in, and you wanted to prevent infant gum disease or tooth decay. Having these diseases at such a young age could lead to larger health problems for them in the future. It’s ideal to brush your infant’s teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Be sure to be gentle. If your child starts to get red or swollen gums or white film over his or her teeth, it means their teeth are not being brushed correctly. You’ll need to adjust your brushing methods, or this could lead to tooth decay or gum disease.
Switching Out Brush Heads
Don’t forget to replace the brush or brush head every three to four months. It’s recommended you use a small, pea-sized amount of toothpaste on the brush. It’s easiest to tilt your child’s head back so you can see the teeth when you brush. Remember to brush in circles around the teeth.
If you want to avoid the hassle of manually brushing your child’s teeth, but still give them the care they deserve, you can invest an automatic toothbrush like the AutoBrush for Kids. The AutoBrush for Kids is an automatic toothbrush designed to contour to the unique shape and size of a child’s mouth, and built to clean more effectively than traditional brushing.
As long as you remember to start early and keep up with it, your child should be on the way to a healthy brushing habit!
