Just by giving birth to a child, the duty is not over for parents. They should take care of every little things of the baby. The baby reciprocates the way you care for them. The better you teach them, the better they learn. And the best example of this is brushing the child’s teeth. Hence, it is essential to know when should you start brushing your child’s teeth. Initially it is the parents who have to brush their child’s teeth, but gradually the child learns and brushes of his own.

Cleaning the gums–

It is wise to start taking care of the gums from the very first. Taking care of gums will prevent the bacteria from clinging thereby decaying of teeth will not be seen. Cleaning gums does not include a toothbrush or toothpaste. One should follow these steps-

• Wrap a moistened cloth in your finger or take a cotton gauze and wipe off the gums.
• Gently wipe the gums at least twice a day.
• Try doing this after every feedings and before bedtime. It will prevent eruption of carious teeth.

 Brushing teeth–

• When you see a tooth popping out of the gums in your child’s mouth, start brushing using the best baby brush.
• Use a small head brush with soft bristles and long, fancy handles (baby toothbrush).
• Do not use fluoride toothpaste until the child is aware of it and doesn’t swallow.
• You should start brushing your child’s teeth between 1 to 2yrs with grain sized non- fluoridated toothpaste.
• At the age of 3, you can use pea sized fluoridated toothpaste and ask the child to spit the paste after brushing.
• Parents should continue supervising and brushing their child’s teeth until the children can brush, spit and rinse mouth of their own, and this is usually at the age of 6.

It is very important to start visiting a dentist when the child is of 2yrs old as, the professional can advice you the proper way of taking care of your child’s teeth. Taking care of the primary (milk) teeth is vital as they are the place holders of permanent teeth.