Some parents wait until a baby has a mouthful of teeth before buying a toothbrush, but cleaning should begin as soon as the first tooth breaks through the gum. In Australia that first stage uses a soft brush and plain water. Toothpaste comes later, at 18 months, and even then it is a low-fluoride children's paste in a small amount.
Toothpaste is added in stages
The Australian Dental Association (teeth.org.au) and state dental services, including Dental Health Services Victoria and SA Dental, set out the same broad steps. Parents who read overseas websites may see different timing, so it is worth following local advice, and any specific advice your dentist or OHT gives for your child. The steps are:
From the first tooth to 18 months
Clean the teeth twice a day with a small, soft toddler brush and water only. Before any teeth appear, wiping the gums with a clean damp cloth after feeds is optional, but it helps babies get used to having their mouth touched.
From 18 months to six years
Add a smear of low-fluoride children's toothpaste. Put the paste on the brush yourself rather than letting your child squeeze the tube, and encourage them to spit out the extra as soon as they can.
From six years
Move to a pea-sized amount of regular-strength fluoride toothpaste. Our article on how much toothpaste children need covers amounts, strengths and labels in more detail.
Getting a squirming toddler brushed
Babies and toddlers cannot clean their own teeth, so the brushing is yours to do, with your child allowed a turn afterwards if they want one. Children need a parent's help with brushing until they are around eight, according to Dental Health Services Victoria.
Position does most of the work. Sitting on the floor with your child lying back across your knees, or standing behind them while they face a mirror and tipping their head gently back, lets you see every tooth. Use small circles along the gum line on the outside and inside surfaces, then scrub the chewing surfaces of any back teeth. For a baby with a handful of teeth, thorough matters more than long.
The night-time clean matters most, because saliva flow drops during sleep and any sugar left on the teeth has hours to work. After toothpaste is introduced, ask your child to spit and skip the rinse, so a thin layer of fluoride stays behind.
Habits that work alongside the brush
Milk, formula or juice sipped from a bottle in bed pools around the top front teeth and is a common cause of early childhood decay. Settle your baby before bed without a bottle in the cot, or offer water if they need one. Between meals, water is the best drink. Queensland Health notes that adults can pass decay-causing bacteria to babies through shared spoons or by cleaning a dummy or bottle in their own mouth, so those habits are worth avoiding.
The first dental visit
Dental Health Services Victoria recommends a professional dental check by one year of age. A first visit is usually a short, relaxed look in the mouth with your child on your lap, plus advice tailored to them. Our guide to a child's first dental visit describes what happens, and our tips for a child who is scared of the dentist may help if your toddler is wary of new people.
Common questions
My baby is teething and hates the brush. Should I skip it?
Try a softer brush or a damp cloth over your finger for a few days, but keep cleaning the teeth that are through. Teething discomfort usually comes and goes.
What if my toddler swallows the toothpaste?
Use only a smear (a pea-sized amount once they are 6), dispense it yourself, and keep the tube out of reach. Teach your child to spit out the leftover paste as early as they can.
Why look after teeth that will fall out?
Baby teeth help with eating, speech and holding space for adult teeth. Decay in them can hurt and become infected, and the back baby teeth stay in place for many years.
Family check-ups at Lumi Dental
Our dentists and OHTs see babies, toddlers and families, and are happy to show you brushing positions that suit your child at a first visit. Eligible children may be covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. You can see our family and new patient offers on the offers page.
