You can start brushing your baby’s teeth the moment the first one pokes through the gum, which for most babies happens right around 6 months. Use a soft-bristled infant toothbrush with a rice-grain-sized smear of fluoride toothpaste, and brush at least twice a day: once after breakfast and once before bed.
What You Need Before You Start
Pick a toothbrush designed specifically for infants. Look for a small, narrow head that fits comfortably inside a tiny mouth, soft bristles that won’t irritate tender gums, and a long handle that gives you good control. Your baby doesn’t need a fancy brush, just one that checks those boxes. A finger brush (a silicone sleeve that fits over your fingertip) also works well at this age and gives you a better feel for what’s happening inside the mouth.
Use fluoride toothpaste from the very first tooth. The amount matters: for children under 3, the recommendation is a smear the size of a grain of rice. That tiny amount provides cavity protection while keeping fluoride intake well within safe limits, even though your baby will swallow most of it. Babies this young can’t spit, and that’s expected. The rice-grain dose is specifically calibrated to balance cavity prevention with the small risk of dental fluorosis (faint white spots on adult teeth) that comes from swallowing too much fluoride over time.
How to Position Your Baby
The easiest position is to sit your baby on your lap facing away from you, with the back of their head resting against your chest or stomach. Cup their chin gently with your non-brushing hand so you can tilt their head slightly and see into their mouth. This gives you a clear line of sight and steady control, and your baby feels secure against your body.
If your baby is fussy or squirmy, you can also try laying them on a changing table or bed with their head closest to you, looking down into their mouth the way a dentist would. Some parents find this angle easier for reaching the back surfaces of teeth. Either way, the key is stability: you need one hand free to brush and the other supporting their head or chin.
The Brushing Technique
At 6 months, your baby likely has just one or two lower front teeth. Brush all surfaces of each tooth using gentle, small circular motions or short back-and-forth strokes. Pay attention to the front of the tooth, the back (tongue side), and the biting edge. The whole process takes under a minute.
While you’re in there, gently run the brush or a damp soft cloth along the gums where teeth haven’t erupted yet. This clears away milk residue and bacteria, and it gets your baby used to the sensation before more teeth arrive. Over the next several months, teeth will come in steadily, and your baby will already be familiar with the routine.
When Your Baby Hates It
Resistance is normal. Most babies don’t enjoy having a brush in their mouth at first, and some will clamp their lips shut, turn their head, or cry. This doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. A few strategies help:
- Start with a cloth. If the toothbrush itself is the problem, wrap a clean, damp washcloth around your finger and wipe the teeth and gums. You can transition to a brush once your baby tolerates the sensation.
- Make it predictable. Brush at the same times every day so it becomes part of the routine, like diaper changes. Babies adjust faster to things that happen consistently.
- Let them hold a brush too. Give your baby their own infant toothbrush or teether-brush to chew on while you do the actual cleaning with a second brush. It keeps their hands busy and builds positive associations.
- Sing or talk through it. Narrating what you’re doing or singing a short song distracts from the unfamiliar feeling and signals when brushing is almost over.
- Keep it brief. With only a couple of teeth, you need about 30 seconds. A quick, calm session is better than a long, stressful one.
Consistency matters more than perfection. Even on tough days, a quick pass over the teeth is better than skipping it entirely. Most babies come to accept brushing as a normal part of the day within a few weeks.
Preventing Early Cavities
Baby teeth are vulnerable to decay from the moment they appear, and the habits you set now make a real difference. The biggest risk factor at this age is prolonged exposure to sugars, even natural ones found in breast milk and formula.
Never put your baby to bed with a bottle. When a baby falls asleep with milk pooling around their teeth, the sugars sit there for hours, feeding the bacteria that cause cavities. This is so common it has its own name: baby bottle tooth decay. For the same reason, avoid using a bottle or sippy cup of milk as an ongoing comfort tool throughout the day. If your baby needs something to suck on between feedings, a regular pacifier is fine, but don’t dip it in honey or any sweetener.
Skip juice entirely before 12 months. Once your baby starts solid foods, be mindful of sticky options like dried fruits, which cling to teeth and give bacteria a steady sugar supply. And avoid sharing spoons or “cleaning” a pacifier by putting it in your own mouth. The bacteria that cause cavities are contagious and transfer easily from your saliva to your baby’s mouth.
Twice a Day, Every Day
The target is brushing at least twice daily. The two most important times are after breakfast (to clear away food sugars) and right before bed (so teeth are clean through the night, when saliva production drops and bacteria are most active). If you can only manage one session on a chaotic day, make it the bedtime one.
As more teeth come in over the next year, brushing becomes even more important because the spaces between teeth can trap food. Continue using the rice-grain amount of fluoride toothpaste until your child turns 3, then increase to a pea-sized amount.
The First Dental Visit
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend scheduling your baby’s first dental visit before their first birthday. This visit is typically short and gentle. The dentist checks for early signs of decay, looks at how the teeth and jaw are developing, and can show you brushing techniques tailored to your baby’s mouth. If your baby already has teeth at 6 months, it’s not too early to book that appointment.