Brushing Baby's Teeth

What a day of perfect timing. You know one of those days? You walk downstairs and the washer just finishes its cycle. You put the recycling bin at the curb just as the truck starts coming up your road. For me it was raindrops beginning to fall just as Oliver and I got in from our walk to the library.

And this:

Today I noticed Oliver's first tooth. He was gnawing on my finger as we watched Property Virgins (so good) and a little sharp edge poked me. Upon looking inside I noticed his front bottom right tooth peaking out. Very exciting.

Here's the perfect timing part. I went to the mail box and found a package from Radius (a loyal supporter of my blog) and inside was one of their incredible baby toothbrushes.

Dentists recommend brushing your baby's teeth as soon as they have them. You can even begin before teeth emerge with just a clean cloth on your index finger, rubbed on their gums. For formula-fed babies and those eating sweet solids (Ollie loves him some bananas) the sugars can be troublesome if left in their darling little mouths overnight.

The Pure Baby toothbrush by Radius is designed for little ones age 6 - 18 months. It is nice and small and has ultra-soft bristles. The toothbrush is BPA-free and dye-free as well as cruelty-free. It features vegetable-based bristles (castor bean), is recyclable and the packaging is also sustainable.

You can use a baby toothbrush with nothing, with water or with baby toothpaste - I recommend Lavera. They say it's best to brush twice daily (one of those times being before bed) on the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth, and the tongue. The brush will be good until the bristles look worn, and can be replaced by a Radius Tots brush at 18 months old.

It is best to book a dentist appointment when baby has his or her first tooth. Once two teeth are touching side by side it's time to start flossing. Remember treats like fruit juice are just as bad for baby's teeth as they are for mom and dad's.