When to start brushing teeth/gums?

Question

My baby is almost 3 weeks old and we haven’t done any oral hygiene care. Should we? She doesn’t have any teeth. 
I’ll ask at her next appointment, but curious what everyone else is doing.

Answer

I’m a hygienist and if you “go by the book” you can start wiping their mouth out with a wash cloth anytime just to get the milk off their gums and the whole purpose is so they’re used to having something in their mouth for when they get teeth. Just to make it a little easier to start brushing.

Answer

I think we started wiping the gum for my first around 5 months, so she would be used to it by the time she got solids foods. When she got solids at 6 months, I was massaging her gums with a toothbrush (for babies) after meals and at bathtime. We only started using toothpaste when her teeth cut through.
I noticed that she had an easier time teething than all other babies I know, and I think that could have been partly because we have her gums a good massage multiple times a day, so I can recommend that!

Answer

You can start wiping the gums right away. I think we started brushing gums around four months with my son. He didn’t get any teeth until 9 months.

Answer

I started with my oldest when her first teeth popped through.

Answer

My pediatrician said once they get a few teeth. With my daughter we started once she had 4-6 teeth.

When to start brushing teeth/gums?

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