Age to start useToothPaste..???

@shia88 (4571)
Malaysia
September 23, 2009 10:44am CST
Before my son reached one year old, I use a small wet towel to clean his mouth. After that,I used a finger toothbrush to brush his teeth when he reached 1 year old onwards. Only when he reached 2 years old, I bought him a baby toothbrush (Oral B). Every morning, I will brush his teeth once he wake up,sametime I will sing a "brushing Teeth" song (in bahasa indonesia version) for him. It is pretty fun! Till now, I am yet to apply any toothpaste for him as he still don't know how to spit out water after cleaning his mouth. There is once where I gave him a cup of warm water for him to clean through his mouth.I told him to spit out the water,but then he just drink it up.(Luckily I gave him warm water,not a tap water). Mind to share with me when should I introduce toothpaste for my son? How to teach him to spit out the water after cleaning his mouth? Do drop me a note. Thank you !!!
2 people like this
7 responses
JamesKYTan
@JamesKYTan (1605)
• Malaysia
26 Sep 09
I let my son used toothpaste after he was trained how to spit it out. It happened to us too. My son swallowed the water instead of spitting it out You can buy those herbal children toothpaste which is less harmful if swallowed. I would suggest you wait till he is ready and able to rinse and spit. Cheers and happy myLotting!
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
26 Sep 09
Hi James, I am waiting for the right time to introduce toothpaste to my boy. I am thinkin of geting the FIRST TEETH toothpaste for my boy as it is recommended by my paed last time. It is expensive ,but this is the only baby toothpaste that I can find at my place here.
vingyan06
@vingyan06 (2486)
• Malaysia
25 Sep 09
hi Shia, Nice discussion you have there. I don't have any to share here, my 2 kids still not start to use toothpaste... I buy Pigeon brand tooth brush for my kids, it is a baby brand selling all the baby necessities like wet tissue, bottles, pacifier and clothes. but they don't have tooth paste... I think it is time to let my elder try to brush her teeth using toothpaste. I get to see her teeth is getting yellowish color. In fact she does not like to brush her teeth. Once I brush her teeth she will claim it is painful. But the brush itself is a soft brush. I don't think the brush make her pain... I think there will be some baby toothpaste around.... Will check it out!
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
25 Sep 09
Hi Vingyan, I can recommend to you this brand, I heard from alot of friend,they started this toothpaste for their kids and they love it. It can be found at Guardian and other pharmacy Kuala Lumpur. The brand is : First Teeth Baby toothpaste ,natural apple banana flavor. I am yet to get one for my boy as it cost more expensive and very difficult to get it at my place here. The price is around RM25-RM28/tube. I saw once at my paed,that time my boy is still less than 1 year old, that is why I never bought it. Actually when I was back to my hometown last December, I bought a kid toothpaste for my son,brand : Cussons. I don't think this brand is available in Malaysia. Till now, the toothpaste is still in my cabinet. As my boy still don't know how to spit,So it is not the time yet for him to use toothpaste. Never let your girl to brush her own teeth only,sometimes my son also like to play around with this toothbrush, he wants to brush his own teeth, I let him do it for awhile,after that I will re-brush his teeth again. I also use wet small towel to clean up his teeth during shower,some part of the teeth is not reachable with toothbrush and only using the wet towel, it can be fully-cleaned. Happy weekend !!
buchi_bulla
@Buchi_bulla (8298)
• India
24 Sep 09
I think you should go on teaching him how to spit water. Act as if you are spitting the water and slowly he will learn. In my opinion, after two years, they will understand what we say and you can talk about the brushing, spitting etc. and always use boiled water so that in case he swallows also no harm. Once you are thoroughly confident, then only start paste.
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
24 Sep 09
Hi Buchi, My boy has started to learn on how to brush his own teeths,everynight he wants to do it by himself. I showed him the right way to brush his teeth and sametime I am brushing my teeth too.We enjoy doing it together. He is yet to know how to spit water out from his mouth. I did tried before,but then he drank up all the water instead. I guess it takes time for him to learn on how to spit. I will give him time to learn and I do hope by next year when he reach 3 years old, he know how to spit and that will be best time for him to use toothpaste.
ravinskye
@ravinskye (8237)
• United States
23 Sep 09
My kids started brushing their teeth around 1 year old. With help ofcourse. I bought a tooth paste that was made for little ones still learning to brush their teeth. it was made without fluoride and said it was safe to swallow. Which was good for my kids because their first objective was to suck the toothpaste off the brush and swallow it lol. Once they got older I moved them up to a kids toothpaste.
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
24 Sep 09
Hi Ravinskye, May I know which brand of toothpaste you first introduce to your kids? It is difficult to get the Baby toothpaste at my place here. All the toothpaste selling in supermarket contain fluoride and not suitable for small kids/baby as they tend to swallow the toothpaste,That is why till now I am yet to let my boy use toothpaste everytime when he brush his teeth.
rainmark
@rainmark (4302)
•
24 Sep 09
I start using toothpaste for my son when he started having teeth, i think that when he was 5 months old. Before that i use to wipe his gums, now every bath h always likes brushing his teeth sometimes it tickles him. But i only give him small amount of toothpaste if in case he swallowed it, it never harm him. Happy myloting.
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
25 Sep 09
Hi Rainmark, May I know which brand of toothpaste do you give to your son? Is it contain flouride? I was told that never give toothpaste that contain flouride to small kids,in case ,they swallow the toothpaste accidentally. I am not sure it is true or not. As for me, I am yet to give any toothpaste for my son as he is yet to know how to spit. He normally just use toothbrush to brush his teeths,sometimes I will use small wet towel to clean his teeth as I worried some part of the teeth is unreachable with toothbrush.
lemonjude
@lemonjude (105)
• Malaysia
24 Sep 09
I think the most approriate age to introduce toothpaste is when they able to spit out properly. I used to show him how I spit for many times and still he not able to do it. My boy is almost 3.5 years now and only lately I found that he able to spit, but he not really master it yet. So far since he born I only used twice before the toothpaste to brush his teeth and he end up all swollow it. Up to today I'm not putting any toothpaste to brush his teeth, just brush it with tooth brush will do then ask him to rinse with tap water, thats all. It is still very clean. Also, I'm not brushing his teeth everyday :P, average is like 4 times a week in the morning only. When he is ready, will guide him to brush by himself properly.
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
24 Sep 09
Hi Lemonjude, I am just wondering why you did not brush your son teeth everyday? I believe he is eating adult foods and it is good to brush his teeth everyday. For me, I am brushing my son's teeth everyday,twice a day,in the morning and night time before he sleeps. At this point of time, I am just using toothbrush to brush his teeth,without any toothpaste yet as my son still don't know how to spit. It is a matter of time for our kids to learn. Never force them!! I remembered well, last year my son did not know how to cycle a bicycle,he alwats use his leg to push the bicycle around.For the past few months, he pickup the method on how to cycle and he can cycle very well now. So time will tell us everything !!
tigeraunt
@tigeraunt (6326)
• Philippines
23 Sep 09
my daughter learned of toothbrush and toothpaste when she was about 1 year and a half. but she use to eat the toothpaste instead and she gets tickled by the toothbrush. she had to get used to it for nearly 3 months before she learned. problem that time was she likes to ask and ask for toothpaste thats why i had to keep it. later she learned that she has to spit it instead of eating it. ann
shia88
@shia88 (4571)
• Malaysia
23 Sep 09
Hi Ann, Oh...you introduce toothpaste to your daughter when she was 1.5 years old. Then I should start on my boy soon. I am worry that my boy will swallow the toothpaste because he really don't know how to spit it out. I ever tried on giving him warm water to clean his mouth and he drank all the water at last. Which brand of toothpaste you gave to your daughter? Alot of my friends are giving " MY first Toothpaste" brand and they said it is good. Difficult to get at my place here and pricey. I have a tube of Cussons toothpaste(for baby). and I am yet to introduce it to my boy. I still can't find a better way to teach my son to spit out. Maybe time will teach him !! Nowadays, he like to brush his own teeths. But i will always re-brush again to make sure it is clean.