Starting to Brush Your Baby’s Teeth

What sets Pediatric Dental Specialists apart? We offer pediatric dentistry and orthodontics for children, teens, and patients with special healthcare needs in Long Beach, California and our surrounding communities. With years of education, hands-on training, and experience, our doctors and staff are uniquely able to meet the specific dental needs of our young patients.

You may be wondering when you should begin to brush your baby’s teeth or even how to. As your child’s teeth may be coming in, it is important to begin a great oral health care routine by caring for your child’s gums.

When the first baby teeth start to pop up, you can graduate to the use of a toothbrush. Choose one with a soft brush, small head and large handle.

At first, just wet the toothbrush. As soon as teeth erupt, you can start using a bit of training-toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice. You can increase this to a peas sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when your child is 2 years old. Brush gently all around your child's baby teeth, front and back.

You should brush your baby's teeth until he or she is old enough to hold the brush. Continue to supervise the process until your child can rinse and spit without assistance. That usually happens at around age 6.