How do I start cleaning/brushing my son's teeth who just turned 1?

The way I started my kids off with learning on brushing their teeth was just to give them a toothbrush and let them chew on it and mimic me while brushing my teeth. When they were babies(like your son) after every meal while still sitting in the high chair I would just hand it to them and let them explore it themselves. Then I would put a small dab of toothpaste on it and help them brush.

Although it is great for them to learn to do it themselves remember that it is still gonna be several years before they can totally tackle it on their own......my oldest daughter is 6 1/2 and I still go in after she is done and do them.

Now he's 1 you can get him a toothbrush. The cloth thing is nice when they have 1-3 teeth. After they get as many as your child has, time for toothbrushing. In the toothpaste, toothbrush aisle, they have soft bristle toothbrushes that are smaller and work best for little ones. Also get the Orajel, Training toothpaste with little bear on the box. It's the safest toothpaste for little ones. Put just a dot on the toothbrush and have him sit on the toilet lid. Then tell him to open wide so you can count his teeth. When he does use the toothbrush to "count" and brush them at the same time. He will get use to this feeling in his mouth and soon will be able to do it himself. When he starts brushing them himself, let him, just make sure to go over them after he is finished, just to make sure they are clean. The toothpaste tastes good and he may "eat" some of it. That's fine, there isn't anything harmful in it. My kids used the training toothpaste til they learned to spit in the sink. It's not hard to do, but it does take time. I have 3 children.

My pediatric dentist said that a child is not capable of brushing their own teeth until the reach the age of 8. He recommends that you let your child brush once per day and you go behind himt he second time he brushes to make sure he covered everything.

For a toddler, I used a the small toothbrush that I got from the dentist and just a small amount of paste (if any) and brushed their teeth. If he already has 8 - 10 teeth, it is time to start taking him to the dentist for regular cleanings. Most pediatric dentist offices will begin seeing children at 1 (or 18 months). They have televisions hanging on the wall to occupy the children during the cleaning and most are very child-friendly.

Research your area and talk with other moms about their kids dentist and find one that you think will be great with your child. However (if this is your first child) be prepared-a lot of child dentist offices will not allow the parent to go back with the child during the cleaning and exam. I was a little paranoid the first time I took my kids to the dentist, but it really is better for them to be without you. They tend to be calmer if Mom isn't their to worry about them.

I can't remember the brand right off hand, maybe Gerber, but they make these things that you can slip onto your finger to use to brush their teeth. They also make a infants toothpaste. It doesn't have any fluoride in it, so that if they swallow it, it won't harm them. That is made by Gerber and it's called Tooth and Gum cleanser. It has a fruity taste. My kids loved it. My youngest ones are 3 1/2 and 5 and they both love to brush their teeth now. If you look in the infant/baby section at Wal-mart you will probably find what I am talking about. I think I found mine around the Pacifiers.

They make finger brushes you can use on them. I started that when my son got his 1st tooth.. so he would not bite me later on.. lol. There are also toothbrushes out there that are like teething rings. It is round so they can not choke on it and Gerber makes a gentle fluoride toothpaste. I would give it to my son a couple times a day with some toothpaste on it and he would chew on it and move it around.. to this day the kid loves toothbrushes.. he has 4 at the moment. I would brush his teeth in the morning and night. And at about 2 he started to brush his teeth on his own..but I would help him. Good luck.

Also he is old enough to make his 1st visit to the Dentist.. that is always fun!!

That was around the age I started my son. In a few months, he is going to want to do everything you do so when that time gets here, just brush yours in front of him. Until then, give him a toothbrush and infant toothpaste and let him try. If he will let you help, that would be nice too. If he doesn't get them perfectly clean yet, don't worry!

You can actually get a small toothbrush with soft bristles AND "stages" toothpaste (made by Oral B, I think.) I started using this with my grand-daughter when she turned 1, and she LOVES to brush her teeth (She's 2 1/2 now)

I am a dental assistant and I agree with letting him watch you. He will do what you do. Wiping with a cloth is more for when they don't have teeth yet. Let him explore with it. Toothpaste is not necessary right now, if he likes it great, if not, don't worry about it. Just make sure he is not going to bed with a bottle and if he is, make sure it is water ONLY!!

I used the "First time" baby kit from the dentist on my kids. I don't know if they still have that or if you are in the UK if your dentists have something similar. It's a soft brush, toothpaste that is OK to swallow and a blue wash that colors tarter on the teeth so he/she knows they need to brush a little longer.

Buy him a soft tooth brush for babies you can get them from age 6 months and macleans milkteeth toothepaste make it into a game and make it fun first mummy does it the baby helps to do it this way hes learning to brush his own teeth too