With so many varying opinions on how to care for our babies’ and toddlers’ teeth, it can be exasperating. Why care for a baby’s gums? Fluoride or no fluoride? When should we start flossing? Here are some guidelines to finally take some of the pressure off!

According to the Ordre des dentists de Québec, it is important to begin cleaning an infant’s mouth as early as possible, since this not only gets them used to the process, but also keeps their mouth relatively clean. To do this, you should wipe your baby’s gums and tongue with a clean, damp cloth.

Once you begin feeding your baby cereal and purées, you can continue washing with the cloth up until he or she grows at least four teeth. Then, you can use a small, soft-bristle toothbrush and water to gently brush the teeth, gums, and tongue—before bed is the most important. In addition to the brushing, flossing should begin once the primary teeth make contact.  

“Using toothpaste freshens our mouths more than anything, but does not prevent the formation of cavities. What really prevents cavities is flossing. So, brush their teeth twice a day with water and floss once everyday,” explains Dr. Raluca Bota of the DentisteALaval Dental Clinic.  

According to Dr. Bota, the use of fluoride toothpaste should only be introduced once you can be sure that your child will not swallow any of the paste. “Around the age of about two and a half to three, children usually learn to spit, so if they are not swallowing the toothpaste, you can start brushing with a fluoride paste. However, if they are swallowing it, it is difficult to determine how much fluoride they are ingesting, so it is better to only use water.”

With all this information on the cleanliness of teeth, you might also be wondering about the effects of bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, and straws. Fill bottles and sippy cups with good things like milk and water, as juice is not recommended on a regular basis. Also, try to keep feedings as short as possible. “Prolonged feedings of over 30 minutes can mean prolonged contact with the teeth, and it therefore means increased risk of cavities. Also, make sure you always brush the teeth after a feeding and never let your baby go to sleep with a bottle since it increases the risk of cavities,” says Dr. Bota.

Pacifiers can sometimes be the only thing that will soothe a baby, so no need to feel guilty about using them any longer. Prolonged use of pacifiers can cause orthodontic problems in the adult teeth, but if their use is stopped at the age of three, the risk of causing orthodontic problems is decreased, and there is no evidence the use of straws affect either primary or adult teeth.

Now that the rules are clearly outlined and the benefits of starting good habits are explained, we can all start brushing with confidence—and buying curly straws!