When Is the Best Time to Start Using ToothPaste One my 1 year Old?
My son is 16 months old and I have been using a damp cloth to clean his gums – tongue and inside of his cheeks since he was born. Then about 3-4 months old I used the gum and cheek cleaner by Gerber to clean his mouth. When he started to get teeth I started using a soft toothbrush with the tooth and gum cleaner. Around 3-4 teeth I began using the Orijel Training toothpaste (w little bear on it) and am still using it. It does not contain floride so is safe to swallow. Most toothpastes say to keep out of reach of children under 6 however Ive always been told that supervised a 2-3 yr old can have a pea sized amount of child toothpaste (crest makes one I think the flavor is what makes it a childs toothpaste so does colgate) as long as they are supervised.
Try letting him see you use your toothbrush while he uses the Oragel. When he understands the spitting in the sink part and does it consistently, then maybe you can think of transitioning. I’ve got an almost two year old who still uses the oragel, he sucks it right off the brush before he brushes, but right now just the brushing is important, rather than brand of toothpaste.
One good way is to let him have just a soft toothbrush and when you are brushing your own teeth help him and let him get used to it before you use tooth paste. When you start with the toothpaste you’ll be cleaning him up but first get him interested in it. Doing something like this together is a great way to get started. Children like to mimic what there parents are doing.
Buy a child specific one for a better taste and to encourage your son to brush. Regular toothpaste won’t harm him though, as its non toxic, but if you use a whitening one, I’d keep that out of reach. My daughter once at the better part of a tube of toothpaste and nothing happened to her. try colgate milk teeth.
