Establishing good dental hygiene early on can be the difference in whether or not a child has good dental habits later on in life. Today, we list our picks of baby toothpaste that will keep your little one’s pearly whites sparkling. Not only that, but we will cover all your questions and concerns regarding when to start brushing your babies teeth, how to properly care for your babies teeth, and finally, how to build lasting habits that will follow them throughout the rest of their lives. Let’s get started!
Comparison Table
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Start Early
You don’t have to wait until your little one is putting their first tooth under the pillow to start practicing good dental habits. You can begin as early as their first birthday. Start off by handing your little one a toothbrush that he or she can practice brushing their teeth with. Chances are your child is either starting to get teeth or is well underway in the teething process. Having a gum brush handy with soft bristles not only will help get your little one comfortable with a toothbrush, but it will also help your baby relax his or her gums that are easily irritated through the teething process. The baby brand Nuby has excellent gum brushes that are perfect for starting out.
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The Right Toothpaste At The Right Age
Many pediatric dentists recommend that once your baby begins practicing brushing their teeth, that they do so by using fluoride-free baby toothpaste. Fluoride is great for tooth protection if it is used in the right amount at the right developmental stage.
However, when your child is starting to brush his or her teeth, they are still too young to be using fluoride toothpaste. The safe age to begin using baby toothpaste with fluoride is 2 1/2 to 3 years of age. Once our little one starts sprouting their first tooth, they will need some baby toothpaste. Here are our picks of some great starter tubes of baby toothpaste that are fluoride free and perfect for beginning brushers.
1. Colgate’s My First Toothpaste
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This trusted brand offers an excellent baby toothpaste for little ones who are starting to develop good dental habits. Not only is this toothpaste fluoride-free, but it is dye free, preservative free, SLS free, and comes in a variety of different flavors. The jelly toothpaste offers a unique texture and color that keeps children interested and engaged when brushing their teeth. For a trusted brand that gets the job done and helps encourage healthy dental habits, Colgate is the way to go.
2. Orajel Training Toothpaste
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Another trusted baby toothpaste brand is Orajel. For more variety in baby toothpaste flavors, the Orajel training toothpaste is the way to go. Orajel currently offers their baby toothpaste in pinky fruit, fruity fun, toothy fruit, and berry fun. The different flavors are perfect ways to encourage little ones to develop good dental habits. What we especially love about the Orajel baby toothpaste is that the packaging comes in a variety of designs.
Your little one can choose from PAW Patrol characters, My Little Pony characters, Thomas the Train, and so much more. Having a variety of characters to choose from will ease your little one into brushing their teeth in a fun way.
3. Earth’s Best Toothpaste
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If you are looking for an all natural baby toothpaste, then Earth’s Best Toothpaste is an excellent way to go. This baby toothpaste not only is fluoride free, but it’s impressive on so many levels. It doesn’t include parabens, dyes, artificial flavors, or sweeteners, or any other chemicals that might be harmful to your babies health. Earth’s Best Toothpaste comes in several flavors including strawberry and banana as well as apple and pear. The different flavors are a great way to ease your little one into brushing their teeth.
The only downside to this toothpaste so far according to consumers is the size. Earth’s Best toothpaste comes in tubes that are 1.6 ounces and no larger. While the sizes might be small, you can look at this as an opportunity to buy several different flavors for your kid to try out. You can start practicing brushing your babies teeth as early as six months with this baby toothpaste.
4. Jack And Jill Natural Toothpaste
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Another natural baby toothpaste that is a great starting baby toothpaste for teaching your little one to brush their teeth is Jack and Jill’s natural toothpaste. This toothpaste is made of only organic natural fruits. The organic fruit makes for a delightful taste when children brush their teeth. The other organic and chemical free properties of this toothpaste make it safe enough for your little one to use as early as they start popping out their first tooth too. You don’t have to worry too much about your child swallowing this toothpaste because there aren’t any ingredients that are harmful if consumed.
Unlike other brands of baby toothpaste, this baby toothpaste has a pleasant taste. This is due to the natural sweetener in this baby toothpaste. They sweeten their baby toothpaste with an ingredient called xylitol. This natural sweetener is safe for your little one to ingest if they accidentally swallow too much toothpaste. You can find this baby toothpaste in a variety of flavors including strawberry, blueberry, banana, and raspberry. Try this baby toothpaste out with your little one as early as three months, and it is sure not to disappoint.
5. Tom’s Of Maine
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This company is well known for a variety of high-quality baby products. One such baby product is their baby toothpaste. The Tom’s toddler training toothpaste is perfect for children 3 to 24 months of age. This fluoride-free baby toothpaste is FDA approved and is highly recommended by many pediatric dentists. Like the Jack and Jill‘s natural toothpaste, Tom‘s baby toothpaste is also naturally sweetened with the ingredient xylitol.
So you can rest assured that it will not harm your baby if they accidentally swallowed too much. Your little one is sure to enjoy this toothpaste because of the strong aromatic smell that it is known for. The sweetness of the mild fruit and orange mango flavors are attractive to many children and encourage healthy dental practices.
Other Tips To Developing Good Brushing Habits
Once your little one has found a baby toothpaste that works for him or her. There are a couple of other things you can do to establish good brushing habits. Here are just a few of those things:
1. Teach The Proper Brushing Techniques
The proper way for your child to brush their teeth is by making circular motions on the top and bottom of their teeth as well as behind their teeth. Teach your child the proper way by showing them a fun video or reading to them from a book that displays the motions correctly. You can try putting it in a song or brushing your teeth with them to model correct brushing techniques.
2. Start A Nightly Routine
In addition to their bed routine, squeeze in time for brushing their teeth so that it can become a part of their daily routine. A great time to schedule practicing teeth brushing is before or after their shower and right before they go to bed.
3. Don’t Sleep With The Bottle
Once your child has begun sprouting their first teeth, you want to start weaning them away from falling asleep with the breast or a bottle of milk in their mouth. Pooled milk can cause irreversible teeth decay.
4. Schedule A Pediatric Dentist Appointment
In addition to building good brushing habits, your little one should see a dentist as soon as he or she turns one (or if tooth sprouts earlier than that). Schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist who specializes in little ones. Continue regular pediatric dental visits until your little one is ready to begin seeing your regular family dentist at about age 3.
Final Thoughts
Teaching your little one to brush their teeth and develop good hygiene practices correctly does not have to be a battle that is fought every night. Especially once they get older and the tooth fairy makes her first debut. You can start by taking your little one with you when it is time to choose a baby toothpaste. Have them pick out a baby toothpaste that is comfortable for them to use. But most importantly, make brushing their teeth a fun and enjoyable experience that they look forward to each night.