What To Look Out For When Choosing Your Baby’s First Toothpaste
We love that cute and innocent smile of a toothless baby, but when your baby’s teeth start to appear, you need to start brushing their teeth with toothpaste to maintain hygiene and develop healthy teeth and gum. You can’t ever be too careful before picking up the right toothpaste for your precious little one. Don’t worry; we are here to guide you to pick up the best first toothpaste for your baby.
Importance of a Toothpaste
Before your baby has any teeth, you can clean their gum with a clean washcloth. But with the appearance of the first tooth, it is necessary to brush their teeth with toothpaste. Brushing with toothpaste offers numerous benefits.
- Removes plaque
- Prevents bad breath
- Some toothpaste can repair damaged enamel
- Reduces the risk of cavity
- Builds up a healthy dental hygiene habit
Things to Look For in Your Baby’s Toothpaste
You can start brushing your little one’s teeth as soon as they appear. But you need to look out for some traits before choosing your baby’s first toothpaste.
Fluoride
Fluoride is crucial to maintaining healthy teeth and to prevent tooth decay. But it is not recommended to use toothpaste with fluoride on children under the age of two. You can only use fluoride infused toothpaste once your child can spit up. So, when picking up your little one’s first toothpaste, make sure it does not contain fluoride. Even if they are old enough to use fluoride toothpaste, consult with your dentist before using it.
Flavour
Who doesn’t love fun flavours on their toothpaste? Kids love to brush their teeth with fun-flavoured toothpaste, and you can give your toddler this fun experience by choosing flavoured toothpaste. However, you need to be careful in choosing the right toothpaste by checking and ensuring that the ingredients used in the toothpaste including ingredients for flavour are all food grade ingredients. Be extra careful in ensuring that no synthetic or toxic flavourings are added to the toothpaste. There are many flavours available like strawberry, watermelon, orange etc. But make sure you have varieties of flavours available at your disposal. Toddlers can be pretty picky with their toothpaste and observe which flavour they enjoy the most. So, try out different flavours and let them pick their tooth-buddy!
Safe if Swallowed
You can’t expect your baby to always spit up; they are expected to swallow their toothpaste sometimes. So, make sure their toothpaste doesn’t contain anything harmful, and contains food grade ingredients, and is safe if swallowed.
Check for the Expert Seal of Approval
Baby toothpaste should contain an expert seal of approval or certificate to show it is safe for babies. You can ask your dentist about what is the safest option for your baby’s first toothpaste.
Some Ingredients to Avoid
We know you want only the best and safe option, so avoid the ingredients like essential oils, sodium lauryl sulfate and any harsh abrasive.
Sodium lauryl sulfate can cause canker sores, so it definitely should not be in your little one’s first toothpaste.
You can be a fan of all-natural products, including essential oil-infused toothpaste, as they offer antimicrobial properties, but don’t choose the same for your baby. Your baby is still in the process of developing its oral microbiome, and essential oils can hamper that development.
Harsh abrasive ingredients are generally used in adult’s toothpaste, but it is highly harmful to babies as they can heavily damage your child’s tooth’s enamel.
Conclusion
Brushing with toothpaste from the very beginning can set your baby up for a lifetime of good dental hygiene practices. But your toddler’s first toothpaste needs to be safe. Moreover, it should be able to give your baby a fun experience. So, follow our tips to give your baby the best possible toothpaste!
References:
https://planodentist.net/blog/5-things-to-look-for-when-choosing-a-new-toothpaste/
https://www.healthline.com/health/baby/best-baby-toothpaste#how-we-chose
https://www.icpahealth.com/blog/select-right-toothpaste-children/
