Oral care for our little ones should start while they are young. I had experienced pain, sleepless nights due to toothache and to tell you getting a root canal is a night mare. I don't want my child to undergo the same process as I did so I have introduced oral care the earliest time possible. 

My child is now 29 months old. Here is our journey in the light of oral care.

0-6 months (or until the first tooth erupts):

She's toothless by this time. But milk deposits accumulate on her tongue. She hates tongue cleaner so I what I do is wrap my fingers with damp gauze then gently rub it on her tongue and gums. Fingers, gauze and water should be clean. I brought a toothbrush trainer set to prepare her for the actual toothbrush. It was helpful, so when I started introducing a real toothbrush to it's no longer a problem.

6-12 months

Your little one is eating soft solid food by now. We had our first dental visit at Doctor Edna Lesaca (Roxas, Isabela) when she's 6 months. She is thrilled to know that I am for early oral care. She prescribed Xylogel Teething Oral Gel. Price is around PhP140.00. This is for tooth decay prevention and to sooth the pain of the erupting teeth. It's made from natural ingredients so it's safe for babies. I tried putting the gel on my mouth. It has a minty sensation from the 5% Xylitol.

Our dentist also advised that we can start brushing her teeth with non-flavored toothpaste. She highlighted that we should not be using high sugar, fruit flavored toothpaste to prevent ingestion of the toothpaste. And yes, pea size is enough. Up to date, we are still using Aquafresh Milk Teeth.

12 to 24 months

At this time, brushing sessions get harder. Crying is expected. We had our first fluoride varnish when Sophie is already 13 months. It's advisable to have it the earliest time possible. But for me, I think it makes sense to wait for at least 6 teeth to erupt before starting the sessions. Cost of the varnish is PhP1000.00. That includes cleaning and dentist professional fee. Below 24 months, fluoride varnish should be done every 6 months.

24 months and up

At this stage, toddlers consumes more solid food and probably has discovered a love for sweets. Brushing teeth should be done after meal. I'm also teaching Sophie to practice gargling and drinking after eating. We started flossing, too.

Fluoride varnish should be done in 4 months interval. We had our varnish session this February. Session is longer than the usual. Here set of teeth is now complete and we have to clear the deposits on her teeth before starting the varnish session. We also have to stop every 3 minutes to rest her open mouth. Cleaning session is OK but when we started applying fluoride, she started crying. Alert: it doesn't taste good. Still, the session ends will with a reward from the dentist. And yey, Sophie is cavity-free. We will be back on May for another cleaning. Doctor Lesaca will check if we need sealant for her molars by then.

Here are some tips for the fluoride session:

How about you? How do you care for your little ones' teeth?