BATH - ORAL CARE HAAKAA

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. 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.

Start good oral care habits young with Haakaa

Caring for your baby’s teeth

To keep baby gums healthy and to get bub used to the sensation of brushing teeth, starting good oral care habits young helps pave the way for the future. But brushing teeth is sometimes a challenge for many parents. This is how the Haakaa Silicone Toothbrush can help – by removing plaque more effectively than other children’s toothbrushes and by giving a better cleaning experience with its soft silicone 360 bristles.

Haakaa infant oral care 360 silicone toothbrush for 6 month+ babies

Haakaa’s 360 Silicone Toothbrush is loved by mums and dads for many reasons. It is safe for bub because it is made from 100% soft food grade silicone and is BPA, PVC and phthalate free, and is also eco-friendly. Suitable for babies 6 months+, with little or no teeth, the 360 soft silicone bristles massage and soothes tender gums and keeps teeth and gums clean and healthy. Its suction base keeps the toothbrush upright instead of lying flat which keeps the brush head clean and free of germs and other nasties.

Looking after your baby’s dental health

For most babies, teeth will begin to appear around 6-10 months. But dental care should begin before teeth appear. At around 3 months, to keep gums healthy, wipe gums with a clean, damp cloth or gauze twice a day. At 6 months you can start with a suitable baby toothbrush – like the Haakaa 360 Silicone Toothbrush, maintaining the twice a day habit. Only use water, no toothpaste until 18 months.

BPA Free Silicone toothbrush

The Haakaa 360 Toothbrush is the perfect silicone teether brush because it is BPA free and also PVC and phthalate free. It's also made from 100% food grade silicone making it safe for cleaning baby’s teeth and gums. And the soft silicone bristles of this special brush make massaging, cleaning and brushing gentler on tender gums.

Haakaa kids’ oral care set and products

Besides Haakaa’s 360 Silicone Toothbrush, another Haakaa bestseller is the Teething Tot Gift Set, a popular choice for all your little one’s bath, nail and oral care needs. This fun and functional gift set includes the top selling silicone toothbrush, safe baby nail care kit to file (not cut) baby’s nails, the Fresh Food Feeding Teether (which is two products in one!), and the Silicone Palm Teether which not only soothes aching gums but also doubles up as a bath toy.

Preventing decay of your baby’s teeth

While brushing teeth twice daily with a safe and trusted baby toothbrush is part of good daily oral care habits, there are other additional ways to prevent tooth decay. This includes avoiding sugary food and drinks and to not let baby go to bed with a bottle. To cement good oral care habits for your family, visit your dentist with bub when the first tooth appears, or at around one year. Always follow your dentist’s advice for your child’s mouth health and oral care.

Best time to brush a child’s teeth

Good oral care habits are best started young and made effective by a regular routine. Dentists recommend brushing teeth in the morning and before bed so it’s ideal to follow this twice a day habit.

Haakaa teething sets available

Over and above brushing teeth, Haakaa also have a range of baby teething toys which not only help give relief to teething babies’ aching gums but also help develop fine motor skills and improve hand-eye coordination. Haakaa’s fun and functional range of teethers include:
• The Silicone Teething Ball is a one-piece teether designed for little hands and little mouths with a thin silicone frame which easily fits in bub’s mouth, providing relief for aching gums.
• The Fresh Food Teething Feeder and Cover Set is a teether and feeder in one, designed to help build a child’s independence while learning to safely self-feed and enjoy the flavour and texture of fresh solid foods. Its unique silicone design prevents the growth of mould, unlike mesh feeders, because silicone is so much easier to clean.
• The Silicone Teething Ring is fun, easy-to-hold and with its soft silicone teething parts, easily fits into little’s mouth to help soothe aching gums.
• The Feeding and Teething Pack is a combo pack with many of Haakaa’s much-loved teething products. Packaged in a gift box, this pack contains: the Fresh Food Teething Feeder in Steel Blue, the Silicone Teething Ball in Suva Grey and the Silicone Teething Ring.
• The Silicone Palm Teether is part of the Teething Tot Gift Set and is a fun and functional teether. Not only does it help develop fine motor skills with its firmer silicone nubs and ridges but it also develops play skills by doubling up as a bath toy.
• The Teething Tot Gift Set is both a Haakaa infant oral care kit and nail care set which includes essential and useful items for a new bub including the Haakaa Nail Care Kit, 360 Silicone Toothbrush, Fresh Food Teething Feeder and Silicone Palm Teether.

Cleaning your Haakaa kids oral care set and products

To keep your Haakaa oral care products hygienically clean, it’s best to wash before and after each use. Even though dishwasher safe, it’s also recommended to wash items in warm soapy water, rinsing and drying thoroughly after each use. Where possible, disassemble the product before washing (like the feeding teether). Only use soft bristle clean brushes or soft sponges to wash as hard scourers may scratch the surface. To sterilise, use a steam cleaner or boil in water for 2-3 minutes. To keep items looking like new for longer, avoid bleach-based cleaners or tablets to clean or sterilise.

Other Haakaa accessories available

Besides Haakaa’s baby bath oral care range, other popular Haakaa bestsellers include Haakaa’s manual breast pump, Haakaa Gen 3 baby bottles and teats, Haakaa breastfeeding nipple shields, baby nail care set, sippy cups, and baby care products. Shop Metro Baby online for trusted Haakaa gift packs and products, available in a range of colours, from bluestone to blush and many shades in between.

Buying your Haakaa product at Metro Baby

Metro Baby offers a vast range of trusted Haakaa baby products as well as products from local and international brands to help you on your journey as your child develops from nappies to scooters and beyond. All Metro Baby products adhere to Australian and New Zealand safety standards which include car seats, prams, high chairs, cutlery, clothes, bibs, toys, hairbrushes, skincare creams and so much more! Metro Baby’s exceptional customer care includes easy checkout, Price Promise, PayPal with interest-free payments, special offers, and gift cards to fulfil a new mum or any parent's wishlist.

Frequently Asked Questions about Haakaa bath and oral care:

What is the goal of Haakaa baby oral care?

Haakaa’s range of baby oral care products is designed to help parents navigate the milestones of teething and brushing teeth, to start good oral care habits young and keep little mouths healthy.

What are the main features of the Haakaa baby oral care products?

The 360 Silicone Toothbrush helps keep little mouths healthy, starts daily brushing oral care habits young (from 6months+), as well as helps relieve aching gums. Haakaa’s range of teethers are designed to help relieve baby’s aching gums while teething, with specific items doubling up in functionality as a feeder (Fresh Food Teething Feeder) or bath toy (Silicone Palm Teether). For added relief to aching gums, store your Haakaa teethers in the freezer in between use.

What are the purposes of the Haakaa baby oral care products?

Every item in the Haakaa range is designed with many purposes. This includes baby oral care products. The Silicone Toothbrush promotes good oral care habits and mouth hygiene. The Teething Feeder is a feeder and teether, promotes independent eating and helps relieve sore gums. Haakaa’s teethers not only relieve aching gums but also help develop fine motor skills and play skills.

What are the benefits of the Haakaa toothbrushes?

The Haakaa 360 Silicone Toothbrush helps keep gums clean, promotes good daily oral care habits, helps your little one get used to brushing teeth, and can help relieve aching gums. You can buy the Haakaa toothbrush as a stand-alone item or as part of the fun and functional gift set.