• Distraction: Brush with two adults. One can focus on engaging the child with things they are interested in to keep their mind and hands busy while the other adult “gets to work”. It could be songs, toys, story books, making animal sounds, or counting and so on!
• Take breaks: It’s okay to take breaks if you can’t finish brushing the entire mouth in one go. Yet, for some, it may also be easier to push through and end with positive energy and praise to help the little one remember the victory.
• Take turns: This can look like having a child’s turn and a parent’s turn, so parents ensure those tricky spots don’t get missed. Each take turns brushing 10 seconds (and a good way to practice counting this way too!).
• Autonomy: Prepare a few different toothbrushes and allow your little one to pick which one to use for the day. Same idea can apply to the flavour of the toothpastes, and also location for brushing, such as bathroom, living room, etc. You will see your toddler enjoy making decisions! Remember to always offer “close ended options”. For example, would you like to brush the top or bottom first today? (no option for not brushing!)
• Together: Making brushing a family event can also improve the experience – show your little one that you take care of your teeth too! There are also great songs or mini-stories you can play on Spotify that are exactly 2 minutes long to keep your little one engaged during brushing time. You can also lay down and allow your little one to brush your teeth!
• Technique: At this age, a lay down or recline position is the easiest for the adult to see where you are brushing and thus able to do a good job. We are happy to demonstrate the position and hand techniques in the clinic with you!
• Tips:
  • Tools – products such as “brushing buddy” can help your little one stay open more while you sneak in the other side of the mouth to brush. U-shaped toothbrushes are fun but can not produce effective results.
• Stay positive – Your little one will learn the routine. Stay positive, stay consistent! Celebrate the little success and improvement even if you can only brush for 10 seconds!
• Start at a different corner each day – If brushing routine is very challenging, starting at a different corner each day can help you rotate through the mouth. One way to rotate could be starting upper arch on TUesday, ThUrsday, SatUrday, and starting lower arch on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

• Does breastfeeding cause cavities? The short answer is No.
• We encourage you to breastfeed your little one as long as you desire! WHO also supports breastfeeding to 2 years and older without any added sugar.
• But Early Childhood Caries (ECC) can be related to frequent night time feeding while brushing is not thoroughly done in conjunction.
• In order to support your journey while also protecting your baby’s new teeth, we suggest establishing a good brushing routine.
• As soon as solid foods are introduced, our oral environment changes drastically. Since breast milk contains natural “sugar” it can by used by bacteria that results in cavities. When solids and breastmilk are combined, cavity risk increases. But, this can be managed with proper cleaning and controlled feeding frequency! When cleaning is done routinely, along with controlled frequency of milk intake, you are good to continue breastfeeding as long as you desire!
• Key points:
  • Please continue to breastfeed for as long as you and your baby desire!
  • Introduce the bedtime routine of “milk-brush-sleep” once teeth erupt.
  • While transitioning out of feeding during the night, please remember to wipe your baby’s teeth (especially the upper front teeth) before putting them back to sleep.
  • Facts:
    • Breast milk itself does not cause cavities!
    • Cavity risk can be significantly reduced if teeth are brushed properly before night time after milk intake. Milk intake throughout the night is actually the main factor that causes cavities regardless of breastmilk, formula, or whole milk.
    • Frequency of milk intake matters too!
      • After your little one starts taking solid food, studies have shown that breastfeeding more than 7 times a day can increase cavity risk.

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• Congratulations! Getting new teeth is exciting! Teething is a normal development and reaction when teeth break through the gum.
• When? – On average, baby teeth erupt between 6 months old to 3 years old. There are twenty baby teeth in total! The 4 upper and 4 lower front teeth come first. Then the 1st baby molars usually erupt before the canines. That’s why you will see a gap between the 1st molar and the front teeth – aren’t they cute looking!
• What are the symptoms? – You may be seeing your little one putting their fingers in the mouth more, biting on fingers or toys a lot, rosy cheeks, more saliva production and drooling, more grumpy and difficulty sleeping. However, remember true high fever is not directly linked to teething. Sometimes you may also see swelling or raised gum in the area.
• How to help? This can be a tough time for both baby and parent. If your little one is experiencing discomfort with the eruption of their new teeth, there are a few options for soothing their sore gums. Gentle gum massage and offering something cold for your baby to chew on can help the process. Frozen carrots or other fruits/veggies can be a great option for your little one to munch on while also soothing their discomfort.
  • We advise to not use the amber necklace to prevent choking hazards.
  • Baby Tylenol could be the last resort if your little one is not sleeping well at night. There are other over-the-counter products for teething, such as Camilia. It is more herbal based and no good scientific support of its effectiveness. Follow the label if you choose to use those products but remember to avoid teething products that contain benzocaine.

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• Dental Trauma is very common in toddlers who are learning coordination, figuring out how to walk, and finding their balance. While parents do all they can to prevent accidents, they do happen! If your child has a fall and hits their mouth, it’s always a good idea to give your dentist a call for an exam so that we can check for any visible or hidden trauma to the teeth. If possible, an x-ray may be taken to check for damage to the root of the tooth or unerupted teeth, which will be monitored at your child’s regular dental visits.

• Habits such as pacifier use can lead to permanent changes in your child’s dentition or mouth shape if continued for too long. It’s important to wean them off the habit as soon as possible, and explain to your kiddo why it’s necessary. There are all sorts of fun ways you can make weaning an exciting milestone for your little one, such as burying the soother and having a surprise grow in its place, or giving it away to the soother fairy.

• Similar to pacifier use, thumb or finger sucking can alter your child’s dentition and change their pallet shape as they grow. Finding an alternate coping method will be an important step to curb this habit, as children often do this to self-sooth. Once your child has a safer option to choose from, you can use bandaids or specialized nail polish (which tastes bitter to deter behaviour) in order to remind your kiddo not to suck their fingers.

• As adults, we often associate teeth grinding with a symptom of stress. But this can also be an unconscious habit that children develop, often occurring when they are asleep. Generally this is a habit that we monitor when it occurs at a young age, but if severe it can lead to loss of tooth enamel, which may require dental or medical intervention.