What is a finger toothbrush for babies and how to use it correctly?

From this article you will learn:

• When should you start brushing your baby's teeth under one year old?
• how to brush children's teeth at one year, 2 years and later,
• how to choose toothpaste for a child.

Baby teeth are very important for a child, because... they ensure jaw growth and also participate in the formation of correct pronunciation (diction). However, many parents make a number of mistakes that lead to early damage to baby teeth by caries, the subsequent development of pulpitis and periodontitis, and ultimately removal. At the same time, early removal of baby teeth causes disruption of jaw growth and delay in the eruption of permanent teeth.

Early caries of primary teeth is a consequence of - 1) insufficient oral hygiene in a child, which leads to the accumulation of soft plaque and an increase in the number of cariogenic bacteria, 2) improper diet, irregular feeding on demand or night feeding, 3) consumption of large quantities easily -digestible carbohydrates. There is even a term in dentistry - bottle caries, which shows the important connection between a child’s poor nutrition and the development of dental caries.

Caries of primary teeth in children -

Therefore, it is very important for parents to know when to start brushing their baby’s teeth, what toothpaste is best to use, and, in the future, how to teach their child to brush his teeth on his own when he reaches the appropriate age. Remember that soft flour and starchy foods (i.e., everything that contains easily digestible carbohydrates), sour and sweet juices, as well as soda - in conditions of insufficient hygiene quickly lead to the development of caries.

What it is?

Keep in mind! Dentists recommend that parents start caring for their teeth when they have little or no teeth.

Because it’s not only about cleaning, but also about teaching the baby a very important hygiene procedure . Therefore, it is very important that training is timely.

In addition, it is much easier to accustom a small child to a toothbrush at a time when he “tastes” everything and puts it in his mouth.
It is best for a small child to purchase a silicone massage brush , which will become his first toothbrush.
It is also called a fingertip. This is a transparent cap, at the end of which there is a large amount of short fibers and pimples made of silicone .

Its peculiarity is that before use the product must be placed on the index finger of an adult.

It is also allowed to be worn on the little finger.

For your information! Thanks to this simple thing, you can not only gently remove plaque from the baby’s first teeth, but also massage his gums, which is done due to the presence of villi and pimples.

Moreover, most kids like this procedure.

Parents
need to remember that the mouth of a small child must be regularly cleaned of food debris and microbial plaque.
In addition, milk teeth are a favorable and nutritious environment for fungal flora, as well as for the development of candidal stomatitis.

Many parents are also attracted by the low price of the product.

Very often a special case comes with it.

Note! If the child is 3-4 months old, then you can start using the finger brush.

This product has the following advantages :

• hygienic care of the item is quite easy;
• it contains absolutely no harmful substances ;
• provides a massage effect ;
• Since it is made of soft material, it is almost impossible to injure the child’s gums.

Stay up to date! In addition to its advantages, the brush also has disadvantages:

• short service life . Very often, when little children start teething, they start to itch, so the baby can simply chew on the device;
• The size of the silicone brush is more designed for women's fingers , but it may not fit on men's fingers;
• It often happens that a child bites the brush , naturally, with a finger inside it, so parents need to be careful .

Description

Since the baby cannot independently perform hygiene procedures, this most important function falls on the shoulders of his parents. When choosing a silicone fingertip, consider the following points:

The accessory must be completely silicone, including the bristles. This will keep the baby healthy and not damage the soft tissues of the oral cavity. It is easier for the parent to control the force of pressure on the teeth and gums.

The presence of even slightly noticeable seams on the surface of the product is not allowed. There is a huge risk of various microorganisms and bacteria harmful to health appearing at these joints.

The fingertip must be equipped with a special case where the accessory will be stored.

How to choose a product?

First of all, you need to pay attention to the material. It should be durable , but at the same time soft , so that the brush does not scratch or injure the baby’s sensitive gums.

You should know! Nowadays brushes are made of silicone.

Choosing the right thing is not so difficult, because all models are almost the same. They may vary in color and the presence of additional accessories.

It is recommended to buy those brushes that are sold with the case.

In this case, over time, when the brush deteriorates, it will be possible to purchase a new one, but without the case, since it was left over from the previous one.

Thanks to the container, the transparent fingertip is unlikely to get lost.

In most cases, all brushes are the same size.

It is recommended to buy the product in specialized stores , and even better - in pharmacies .

If the item was sold without a case, then it will need to be stored in a separate open cup. In this case, the end of the brush with bristles should be located at the top and “breathe”.

Know! A finger brush is also better than a traditional one because it can be replaced as it wears out.

Peculiarities

Cloth napkins are a disposable device. Does not contain chemical, aggressive components, has a pleasant taste. But still, consult your pediatrician before use.

The silicone fingertip looks like a transparent cap. Can be used many times. The surface is covered with short tubercles.

The special feature is that you put it on your finger and cleanse it. Another ability is that the device gently removes plaque from the enamel and mucous membranes, and uses the villi to massage the gums.

Parents have different opinions on the use of silicone or rubber fingertips. For some reason, many are sure that they injure the delicate mucous membrane of the child’s mouth. But this is a misconception. First, cleanse gently, without force or pressure. Secondly, the fingertip is made of safe silicone, which prevents mechanical damage. It is also advisable to use it during teething, when the gums swell. And your pediatrician or pediatric dentist will tell you about this.

Also watch a video from Beauty Ksyu’s channel about how she uses a fingertip:

Thanks to the silicone fingertip, the following processes occur in the baby’s mouth:

• stagnation in gum tissue is eliminated;
• blood circulation in the gums and mucous membrane improves;
• gums are strengthened;
• Bleeding, swelling, and inflammation are prevented.

Massage also promotes faster and easier teething in babies.

Recommendations for use

Since this silicone brush with many bristles is placed on your finger, you must thoroughly wash your hands with soap
before brushing your teeth Only after this can you put the toothbrush on your finger.

If brushing teeth is carried out with such a fingertip, then it is best to sit the child on his knees with his back to you.

To carry out the procedure, you need to carefully clean your teeth and gums from plaque with slow movements in different directions.

Remember! In no case should you skip hard-to-reach places, since these are where the largest number of bacteria are located.

The duration of cleaning should be about 4-5 minutes , especially if the child is 4-6 months old.

Thanks to the fact that the toothbrush cleans the child’s mouth from plaque and massages the gums when they are inflamed, the baby’s overall health improves.
You can use this device from 3 months to a year .
The procedure should be carried out several times a day. The best time is in the morning and before bed.

But you can brush your teeth after every meal, which will be even more effective.

Recommendations for successful of teeth with a brush-massager

1. The child should be prohibited from playing with a toothbrush.
2. If the child is under 2 years old, then it is better to carry out the procedure without toothpaste, simply moistening the brush in water.
3. Massage your gums and clean your teeth from plaque using gentle movements.

When should you start oral hygiene?

Preferably from birth, and not from the moment the first tooth erupts.
Before it appears, using special devices, you can prevent childhood candidiasis (thrush); growth and reproduction of infection that causes sinusitis, tonsillitis, sore throat, meningitis. To do this, purchase a fabric fingertip. When the first tooth has erupted and from the moment until the child is able to carry out the cleaning procedure on his own, it is recommended to use a silicone fingertip. Where can caries come from in young children? Many toddlers suffer from regurgitation syndrome.
The milk in the stomach and up the esophagus into the oral cavity is already mixed with hydrochloric acid, which is part of the gastric juice. That is, the milk automatically becomes sour. And such an environment is an excellent “soil” for the proliferation of bacteria. According to statistics, in 56% of children the cause of the development of chronic sinusitis is the lack of normal oral hygiene. As soon as the first tooth emerges, start using a silicone finger guard. Vegetables and fruits, when introduced into the diet, make the environment in the oral cavity acidic. If you do not cleanse, bacteria will mercilessly penetrate the porous enamel, causing the development of inflammation and caries.

Silicone and fabric baby finger pads from the following companies are popular: Canpol babies, Pigeon, Philips Avent, Tommee Tippee. Which one to choose is up to you. The only thing that can be noted is that don’t save money, try proven companies, for example, Canpol babies.

Proper care

Important! If you follow the rules of caring for your finger brush, it will last as long as possible. To do this you need:

1. Wash the product with soap after each cleaning.
2. Store the massage brush in a special case so that it is always clean. Before placing the product in a container, it must be dried.
3. Avoid steam treatment of the brush , as well as boiling. This is explained by the fact that silicone is a synthetic compound in which there is virtually no growth of pathogenic microflora. In addition, due to the steam, the silicone will begin to deform, and this will lead to the fact that the brush will need to be thrown away.

Reference! If the brush has a case, then storing it will be much easier, since most often it has a special clip with which the product can be secured to various thin surfaces.

For example, for the strap of a bag or for a shelf in the bathroom.

On average, the service life of a fingertip is 2-3 months . If the brush is deformed or damaged, it must be replaced.

Brush your child's teeth correctly

Teeth begin to erupt at about 6 months of age. Some children easily survive this period of time, others suffer from pain and experience great inconvenience.

Emerging teeth can be cleaned, just like the gums in the first months of a baby’s life: take a gauze swab, apply a special foam to it and rub it over the surface of the gums and teeth. Sometimes you can find finger pads with soft bristles on sale: they make the procedure much faster, better and more convenient.

Perhaps the baby will not like the procedure at first: you should not force things - it is better to give the child the opportunity to get used to it. When the baby is no longer nervous at the sight of tampons, you can move on to using a brush (there is no exact time frame for when exactly this should be done). You can hear from some dentists that it is advisable to use a brush after the appearance of at least 4 teeth in a row, others advise not to rush, waiting until the baby is 2 years old.

Finger brush from

This company has been operating since 1990.
It produces products for parents, with the help of which they raise and educate their children.

The company specializes in products without which normal child development is impossible..

Taking care of parents and children, wanting to provide them with comfort and time savings, the manufacturer designs products in such a way that they are as comfortable, reliable, and ergonomic as possible.

Parents also get involved in the process of creating products.

It is worth noting! The company is engaged in the production of safe products that are designed in accordance with current directives and standards of the European Union.

For example, toys undergo rigorous checks and tests before they hit store shelves.

Thanks to strict production control, the company guarantees the high quality of its products .

That is why the company is very popular among parents.

A silicone toothbrush from this manufacturer is sold together with a plastic case.

Thanks to this, the product is convenient to store and carry with you if necessary. Therefore, this is a significant advantage of this brush.

The length itself is 5 cm , it is made of high-quality and soft silicone .

Keep in mind! The fingertip does not have any specific smell or taste, so you can safely brush your child’s teeth with it.

On one side of the product there is a pimpled massage surface, which is a big plus for those children who are teething.

Dr. Zubastik recommends

There is an opinion among parents that there is no need to brush baby teeth. What difference does it make whether they have caries or not? After all, they will fall out anyway.

Caries is an inflammatory process caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Infection through microcracks in the mucous membrane can enter the bloodstream and cause various pathologies - sinusitis, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, meningitis. Therefore, I recommend cleaning the baby’s mouth before the first teeth erupt. Thus, you will prevent the development of caries, periodontitis, chronic sinusitis, and tonsillitis.

Tags: fingertip, brushing teeth

About the author: Dr. Zubastik

Typically, a toothache begins to subside on the way to the clinic and finally goes away after 10 minutes of sitting in line to see the dentist.

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How to teach hygiene to a child in a fun way

The procedure can become exciting if:

• buy accessories with your favorite cartoon characters;
• choose toothpaste with the flavor of your favorite berries or fruits;
• purchase flashing brushes (flashes for two minutes, indicating the required time for the procedure);
• allow the child to choose a brush or toothpaste;
• find interesting educational videos or games aimed at developing the correct technique for brushing your teeth.

The easiest way to teach children proper hygiene is by example. Arrange joint procedures, fill out special calendars, and the kids will brush their teeth with pleasure.

What happens if you don't brush your teeth well enough?

Some parents are not serious about brushing their children's teeth, believing that the child is already fine, which is a misconception.

Poor hygiene is a consequence of the appearance of microbial plaque and stone formation, which can cause:

• gingivitis;
• caries;
• stomatitis;
• pulpitis;
• formation of purulent seals on the gums.

Choosing a toothpaste

You can use toothpaste from the appearance of the first tooth. Gels and organic pastes are recommended for baby teeth. The packaging must indicate that the product is not hazardous if swallowed. The amount of paste should be no more than a pea. Requirements for hygiene products for babies:

• gum care;
• antibacterial effect;
• gentle and high-quality cleaning of enamel;
• pleasant taste;
• absence of harmful components.

Basic mistakes

The main mistakes in oral hygiene include:

• Wrong size brush: too big.
• Incorrectly selected bristles: too soft or hard.
• Short duration of teeth brushing.
• Incorrect movements of the toothbrush.
• Ignoring tongue cleaning.

Remember, it is difficult to retrain a child to do anything. Therefore, dentists emphasize that it is important to teach proper oral care from early childhood.