Some babies maybe born with a tooth while others may not get their first tooth for over a year but on average your child will get their first tooth at approximately 6 months of age. So there are a number of questions that are raised of when should I started brushing their teeth and what type of oral hygiene should I perform. Here are our answers to the questions.

What causes tooth decay?

Tooth decay is actually caused by a bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and it thrives in low pH levels and primarily uses sugar for growth and reproduction. This bacteria then “eats” away at the tooth enamel to eventually cause decay.

Will breastfeeding cause caries (cavities)?

There is no link between breastfeeding and caries. There are some suggestions that night time feeding may cause caries but this has been largely discredited as otherwise signs of tooth decay would have been evident in human remains from millennium ago when children were generally breastfed exclusively sometimes beyond 1 year.

When we eat or drink, teeth are bathed in sugars and bacteria and this causes a reduction in the pH of the  mouth. When this occurs mineral ions from the tooth enamel are removed. Breastfeeding has actually been shown to remineralize teeth, depositing calcium and phosphorus back to the teeth.

When should I start brushing?

Brushing should occur when your baby first presents a tooth. This is to remove any food. Also if you are bottle feeding it is especially important because brushing removes/reduces the amount of bacteria known to cause tooth decay. Bottle feeding does not provide the additional protection of breast milk and actually provides more fuel for this bacteria to thrive, hence a higher risk of tooth decay.

Should I use fluoride in toothpaste?

This gets into an area of debate between some people. Everyone however agrees that children under 2 years of age should have zero fluoride intake from toothpaste. There is a debate as to whether fluoride toothpaste actually gives any benefits. Studies from the World Health Organization show that fluorinated water has actually had little or no effect on reducing tooth decay ^[1]

Fluoride is also a toxic chemical and has only a fine line where fluoride can be beneficial to when it starts being harmful ^[2]. Fluoride strengthens bones and teeth from ingestion and the body depositing the mineral, not by external coating, which is why fluoride in toothpaste is a debatable practice.

What should I look for in a toothpaste

The main function of toothpaste is to create an abrasive substance to help remove food and bacteria from teeth. To remove plaque and other substances an abrasive reduces the amount of manual action needed. The abrasive is the most important aspect of the toothpaste.

You can find all natural toothpastes with no fluoride in many stores today. The more natural the ingredients the better it is for you. Even though you do not swallow toothpaste you do ingest small amounts, hence the more natural the ingredients the less you will be ingesting chemicals.

If you have any other questions, please ask us and we will answer your query.

References

[1] http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/

[2] http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/naturalhazards/en/index2.html