Bath - Oral Care

Start good dental hygiene habits young by making brushing fun and easy for your little one

Benefits of using a baby toothbrush

Starting good oral care routine early with bub can lay the foundation for lifelong good oral care habits. A safe and effective baby toothbrush makes the job of brushing your little one’s teeth easier and also more enjoyable for bub. The benefits of using a baby toothbrush include:

• Brush bacteria away from gums, teeth and emerging teeth
• Soft food-grade silicone design is soft and gentle on bub’s gums
• Helps lay the foundation of good daily oral care and solid dental hygiene habits

Best first toothbrush to use on little teeth and sensitive gums

The best toothbrush to use on bub’s little teeth and sensitive gums are toothbrushes specifically designed for babies which are safe and gentle. Design features include food-grade silicone, soft bristles to soothe aching gums and emerging teeth, ease-of-use for parents, and a toothbrush that is easy to keep hygienically clean.

How to use the finger toothbrush on teething babies

A finger toothbrush is designed to use on small mouths and teething babies. Besides comfort for your little one, a quality finger toothbrush is also designed to make early brushing easier for parents. Simply place the finger toothbrush over your finger and then gently rub over bub’s gums to clean emerging teeth and to brush bacteria away.

To use a finger toothbrush on your little one, some tips are included below:

• Only use the finger toothbrush with water until 18 months. Toothpaste is not recommended unless your dentist advises to use.
• Make sure bub feels secure and comfortable, either in your arms sitting down or lying down on your lap.
• With baby’s head resting comfortably against your body, cup bub’s chin.
• Lift your little one’s lip and clean gums and teeth with soft circular movements.
• Ensure you brush the front and back of teeth and the gum line.
• If need be, start with shorter sessions and build up over days to longer sessions (which would anyway only be a couple of minutes at a time).
• Brush teeth twice a day to build a lifelong habit of good dental hygiene.

Silicone finger toothbrush vs regular toothbrush for cleaning baby’s gums and teeth

The reason many parents prefer a silicone finger toothbrush over a regular toothbrush to clean baby’s teeth and gums is because silicone is soft and gentle on delicate gums. Food-grade silicone finger toothbrushes with soft silicone bristles is gentle for bub while brushing teeth (and emerging teeth). Some silicone finger toothbrush designs also have soft silicone bumps on the other side to massage little gums, providing added relief for teething bub (like a teether).

Soft bristle toothbrushes for baby oral hygiene and teeth cleaning

Because soft silicone toothbrushes are easy for parents to use and comfortable for bub’s, this makes baby oral hygiene much easier as a part of daily routine. And because the experience is comfortable, soothing and manageable for bub, your little one’s experience with oral hygiene is a positive one, setting up good dental hygiene habits at a very young age.

Guide to cleaning your little one’s first tooth, and questions about toothpaste

For most babies, a first tooth may appear anywhere from 6 to 10 months. Before the first tooth appears, bub will be teething, which can last for months (as there are many teeth to emerge!). By using a baby finger toothbrush before teeth appear can help to ease teething pain and prepare your little one for good tooth brushing habits. When your little one’s first tooth appears, clean this tooth using a soft baby toothbrush twice a day. Continue to use this soft silicone toothbrush over gums as well to soothe and brush away bacteria. Unless your dentist advises, only use water (no toothpaste) to brush teeth until 18 months.

The best first toothbrush for cleaning your baby’s mouth

The best first toothbrush for cleaning your baby’s mouth is one designed for your baby’s mouth. And one designed to be gentle and effective on bub, and easy to use by parents. All this makes brushing your bub’s teeth an enjoyable experience for all involved! For all baby feeding, teething and oral care products always choose child safe materials and products. Metro Baby’s range of first toothbrushes are safe for your little one, made from 100% food grade silicone and also phthalate and BPA free.

Best practice for dental care of your baby

Early dental hygiene habits can set a life-long approach for oral care hygiene. This is why good dental care instilled early by parents for bub can pave the way for healthy teeth and gums for life. Below are some tips in best practice for dental care for your baby:

• Start brushing gums and emerging teeth when bub is only a few months old, even before teeth emerge. Many baby finger toothbrushes are suitable for 0+ months, like Haakaa’s range of silicone toothbrushes.
• When the first tooth appears, brush with a quality food-grade silicone toothbrush, which also cleans away bacteria and soothes aching gums.
• To diffuse all the negatives associated with a child’s dental visits, start early. Visit your dentist with bub as soon as their first tooth appears, so s/he can get used to the experience as a positive one. Even if the visit is only a few minutes long!
• Use water only and no toothpaste with your baby toothbrush until 1-and-half year old, unless your dentist advises differently.
• Brush bub’s teeth twice a day, in the morning and evening to set the routine as a way of everyday life.

Guide to cleaning a finger toothbrush

Before use, always wash new baby oral care and baby feeding and teething products. For silicone baby toothbrushes you can sterilise (steam steriliser for silicone) or wash with warm soapy water. Once in use, our range of baby finger toothbrushes are also easy to keep hygienically clean because they’re made from food-grade silicone. Silicone is easy to clean. For silicone baby toothbrushes, after use, rinse under running water and leave to air dry in a safe and clean place. Some toothbrushes have a suction or flat base which means you can leave standing upright to air dry without falling over. For all baby products, it’s best to discard if any signs of damage or ingrained dirt appear. For all baby products, read the manufacturer’s washing instructions to ensure correct care so that your product remains hygienic and looks like new for longer.

Discover the best training silicone finger brush and brushing tools for your infant at Metro Baby

Metro Baby’s range of training and brushing tools for your baby includes many trusted products. Browse our range which includes finger toothbrushes from Haakaa and Mushie, 360 silicone toothbrushes from Haakaa, and training toothbrushes from Mushie and Pigeon— which also includes toddler toothbrushes. Beyond oral hygiene, Metro Baby make one-stop baby shopping for all stages and ages effortless and fun with easy checkout, Price Promise and gift cards for any parent’s wishlist. With free delivery on standard shipping on orders over $99 (AUD), we ship to most postcodes across Australia. Shop our extensive collection which includes big ticket bestsellers like cots, prams and bassinets. Other popular parent picks include teethers, pacifiers and bibs, as well as  personal care products like sunscreen, and other baby care products like nail kits, hair brush and combs.

FAQs

Do finger toothbrushes work?

Yes, safe and quality finger toothbrushes work to brush away bacteria from bub’s gums and teeth and also instil good oral care habits from a young age. Browse Metro Baby’s collection of trusted brands and thousands of baby products from newborn stage to toddler years and beyond.

Do finger toothbrushes help with teething?

Yes, depending on the design of the finger toothbrush. Our range of finger toothbrushes helps with teething. Some of many Metro Baby trusted products include Haakaa and Mushie finger toothbrushes, with soft food-grade silicone bristles and silicone bumps, which helps with teething by soothing aching gums.