It is important to note that, the first milk tooth emerges in the baby mouth at around 6 months of age and it is time to start the use of tooth brush for your child. At least till the age of 6 years caretaker should only brush the baby teeth and teach them the correct method of tooth brushing.
Care taker should always use a paediatric designed tooth brush which should have extra soft textured bristles and a small brushing head so that it will be easy to access the various areas of the baby’s teeth. The tooth brush should have a long handle so that the brush does not slip from the hands of care takers into the baby mouth and injure the baby’s oral soft and hard tissues. It is not a rigid recommendation to use a fluoridated tooth paste as fluoride has got both beneficial and controversial issues.
It is also important to know the fluoride content of the drinking water and other sources of fluoride which a baby can routinely consume. Certain geographic areas are labelled as high fluoride belts with the prevalence of endemic fluorosis. Under such circumstances it is not advisable to use fluoride containing tooth paste. Other than fluoridated tooth paste once can always choose non fluoridated commercially available tooth paste with acceptable flavour for the child.
Always moist the bristles of the baby tooth brush and place a small or smear layered tooth paste over the bristles. Gently move the tooth brush head into the baby mouth and get the bristles in contact with the milk teeth. Later rub the bristles with paste over the milk tooth in a circular motion. This should be done on all the surfaces of the erupting or already erupted milk teeth for at least 2 minutes. Further, the concentration should be given to brush at the cervical or the gum area of the tooth surface as most of the plaque and food debris gets collected in this area. After tooth brushing, the baby should be asked to rinse the mouth with plain water