Tips for Brushing Baby & Toddler Teeth

DISCLOSURE: Noelle Copeland RDH is an Oral Care Specialist and Dental Consultant who provides content for Brilliant Oral Care and Baby Buddy.

The arrival of a child is a special time in the life of parents, family, and friends. Did you know that Oral Care begins right away for your new baby? When oral care starts early, “New Baby” early, you lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits.

Parent-performing oral care will continue into adolescence, and indirect supervision will continue indefinitely.  Children who have early oral care routines established as babies learn to take care of their oral care effectively and consistently earlier than children who did not. They are also less likely to experience chronic dental diseases like cavities, gingivitis, and periodontitis. I can’t think of a better tool to help make brushing easy to start and seamless to continue than the oral care kits from Brilliant.

In my opinion, Brilliant has the best infant toothbrush, kid toothbrush, and supportive programs to help establish early oral care and to continue doing it. So if you were looking for the hacks and tips for brushing baby and toddler teeth, you’ve found the right place.

• The Original Oral Care Kit
• Tooth Tissues
• Finger toothbrush
• Wipe-n-Brush
• Teether-Brush
• Baby Toothbrush 4-24 months
• The New Baby Oral Care Kit
• Tooth Tissue
• Finger Toothbrush
• Wipe-n-Brush
• Teether-Brush with hygiene case
• The First Teeth Oral Care Kit
• Teether-Brush with hygiene case
• Spry Tooth Gel
• Baby Toothbrush 4-24 months
• The Growing Kids Oral Care Kit
• Child Toothbrush 2-5 years
• Kids Toothbrush 5 + years
• Spry Tooth Gel

Up to three months of age, there’s not much saliva to help wash away any of the milk residues that can build up in your baby’s mouth, so starting an oral care routine early on is the key to prevention. After three months, the salivary glands begin producing fountains of liquid where drool elicits the need for bibs that are not just a requirement but become quite a necessity! During the first three months, babies are either nursing or being bottle-fed, and this is a great time to introduce cleaning your baby’s mouth after feedings to help reduce the build-up of pathogenic bacteria and fungus that can lead to “thrush” and even oral diseases and cavities later on in life.

You can initiate this early oral care activity by using a sterile cloth to gently wipe the baby’s gums, tongue, and inside cheeks after-feedings. The best way to start is by scheduling this within the other activities in your routine to avoid taking away any more time in your already busy schedule. What this activity accomplishes is twofold:  it removes any milk residue that has been leftover from feedings throughout the day, helping to prevent a build-up from occurring in the mouth, which in turn, if left over time, can potentially cause negative issues.

Remember, you’re not just cleaning the mouth, you are training yourself and your baby to adapt to and accept this new routine. Studies in early oral care prevention have shown that children introduced to early brushing and gum wiping routines significantly reduced the incidence of oral care diseases and cavities later on in life.

Tooth Tissues 30ct

• Start by cleansing your baby’s mouth daily after feedings.
• Gently wipe baby’s gums, cheeks, and tongue with a Brilliant Tooth Tissue that’s enhanced with xylitol.
• The physical action of wiping the mouth removes residual milk residue from oral tissues, that if left over time, can build up and lead to fungal infections like oral thrush.
• Xylitol helps to control the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria by inhibiting their ability to multiply and adhere to the gum tissues.
• One time use for each tissue. Use for all ages, including adults.

Finger Toothbrush

• Around three months of age, you can start to brush and massage Baby’s gums with the 100% food-grade silicone finger toothbrush.
• This introduces a brushing routine while using the tissue wipe after feedings.
• Wash before initial use and thoroughly rinse and dry after each use.
• Securely place the brush over your adult finger, choosing one that allows the brush to fit snuggly.
• Apply gentle pressure as you brush the gums and tongue.

Wipe-N-Brush

• Sometime after four months of age, your baby may start to teethe actively.
• Once the baby begins to bite and chew, switch to the wipe-n-brush.
• This silicone brush combines the tissue wipe and finger brush into one easy step.
• Wash before initial use and thoroughly rinse and dry after each use.
• Wrap a tissue wipe around your adult finger and then securely fit the brush over the tissue, choosing a finger that allows the brush to fit snuggly.
• Then wipe and brush as you move your finger over the gums and tongue.

Baby’s 1st Teether-Brush

• “The Chewable Toothbrush.” A silicone toothbrush that a baby can independently use.
• The Baby’s 1st Teether-Brush is both a teether and toothbrush in one, made of 100% FDA approved, food-grade silicone.
• Babies love to chew on the Teether-Brush because it helps to relieve teething pain.
• Wash before initial use and sanitize in the dishwasher when needed.
• For extra teething relief, freeze before use.

For the first five years of a child’s life, the adult is the one who will be doing ALL of the oral care for a child. Children usually do not acquire the proper dexterity to brush their teeth until around age five effectively, and in some cases, later than age 5. Eruption patterns differ from child to child. However, most children will get the two “bottom” front teeth first, then the two “top” front teeth. This is also the season where first foods get introduced. This adds additional starches and sugars to the diet, making oral care vitally important, especially before bedtime.

Brilliant Baby Toothbrush

• As soon as the first tooth appears, it’s time to introduce bristle brushing to your baby’s dental routine.
• With a patented round bristle design and over 20,000 microfiber bristles that brush, massage, and clean your baby’s mouth better than a plain, flat brush.
• The super-soft bristles and small brush head are designed just for babies’ tiny mouths.

Brilliant Child Toothbrush

• When the molars appear, it’s time to upgrade to the Brilliant Child Toothbrush for full mouth brushing.
• As children grow and develop, their oral care needs grow with them. The Brilliant Child Toothbrush is perfect for these “Brushers In Training.”
• The bristles are soft yet longer and firmer than our Baby Toothbrush to reach the grooves and pits of molar teeth where food can often get trapped.
• It’s the ideal toothbrush for parent performed oral care.

Brilliant Kids Toothbrush

• The Brilliant Kids Toothbrush is specially designed to reach all the areas of your child’s mouth.
• You will eventually notice baby teeth becoming loose as permanent teeth begin to debut!
• The Brilliant Kid Toothbrush is ideal for this “Mixed Dentition” phase, between the shedding of baby teeth and newly erupting adult teeth.
• The round design means the bristles clean everywhere and in every direction.
• Designed with over 10,000 microfiber bristles that brush, massage, and clean your big kid’s mouth better than a plain, flat brush.
• The Brilliant Kid Toothbrush removes 2x more plaque while cleaning the teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue.
• Hard to reach areas are no problem with all-around bristles.

Spry Tooth Gel

• Spry natural tooth gel is made without any yucky stuff. Kids love the Strawberry Banana flavor.
• It contains Xylitol, which acts as a protective barrier from certain harmful bacteria.
• It’s safe if swallowed and cleans gums and teeth while promoting a positive oral environment.

Brilliant® has made oral care easy and fun with their giftable NEW Oral Care KIts, designed specifically for babies and children. Look no further to find the best toothbrush for one-year-olds, a toothbrush for 2 year olds, or a vibrating toothbrush for toddlers. Brilliant has it all from baby to adult. Our patented round head bristle toothbrush not only removes the plaque on teeth, it simultaneously cleans and removes the plaque and bacteria found on the cheeks, gums, teeth, and tongue. It’s the bristles that make all the difference when performing oral care. Don’t forget to #BRUSHBRILLIANT.

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Noelle Copeland

Noelle Copeland RDH is an Oral Care Specialist and Dental Consultant who provides content for Brilliant Oral Care and Baby Buddy.