Dental hygiene is a tricky one to get right but it has such long lasting impact. We are always so worried about what the child is putting in his mouth but something as important as toothpaste is ignored or lets say not paid enough heed to. So how does one start? 1. Newborn: Just follow the hygiene suggested by your peadiatrician. I was suggested gauze and glycerin or just the gauze soon after the baby's birth. 2. As the first tooth sprouts use a finger brush. You can use carters, mee mee or any brand of your choice. They are available at most infant stores or online baby stores 
3. After 9 months until 2 years. Use a fluoride free toothpaste with a finger toothbrush or a baby toothbrush depending on the number of teeth your child has. Good fluoride free toothpaste are Pigeon and Chicco. If you have access I would recommend the Burt Bees fluoride free toothpaste for kids with natural cranberry extract. It has Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate to promote strong, healthy teeth along with Xylitol to sweeten naturally without promoting tooth decay and Silica to whiten teeth by gently removing surface stains. 
4. All about Fluoride: Your baby's developing teeth can benefit from a little fluoride. This mineral helps prevent tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel and making it more resistant to acids and harmful bacteria. the 2 sources of fluoride are toothpaste and municipal water. Until 6 months the baby gets everything he needs from breast milk or formula. Keep in mind that while little fluoride is a good thing for your baby's teeth, too much of it can lead to a condition called fluorosis, which causes white spots to show up on your child's adult teeth. This is why it's important to use only the tiniest amount of toothpaste until your child is old enough to learn to rinse and spit it out. 5. Always use pea size serving 6. As your child crosses the 2 year mark please visit a dentist. Read here on dental visits for kids and dental sealants for kids. 7. After he/she understands that toothpastes are not to be eaten then get a toothpaste that has minimal fluoride. This could be around 30 months. 8. You can now try the Colgate kids which is available in Barbie, Dora, Spiderman and lots of other characters too. 
9. A very important habbit you must inculcate is gargle after every meal. If a basin is available its great but otherwise just teach your child to sip and gargle in the mouth. You will not accompany him to all places especially school where they do eat treats occasionally. 10. Always brush in circular movements so that you do not damage the natural enamel of the teeth 11. Most important it has to be habit that starts young to avoid the daily battles and seconnd explain the importance of healthy teeth and the consequences of not brushing to your children 12. Most importantly replace the brush regularly. Say hello to white, shiny and healthy teeth. If you do want to contribute to this article please share your feedback in the comments below or drop us an email at kidsstoppress@gmail.com. You could also share your feedback on our Facebook page here Image Source: Sheknows.com
Janani S Koushik
Dr Deepti Lokeshappa
KSP Team
