When your child’s teeth are not fully grown, his teeth are still very delicate, so you can use a dampened washcloth or gauze to gently wipe your child’s teeth, including the outer and inner surfaces of the teeth, so that you can give your child a clean oral environment. And when all of his milk teeth have come in, at about 18 months of age, you can change the washcloth to a soft nylon toothbrush and gently brush the inside and outside of the teeth with the toothbrush dipped in water. When should I let my child brush his own teeth? If your child is willing, even if he is not able to clean his own teeth completely, then you can let him clean his own teeth. You can “check” him after he brushes himself and give him a compliment if his teeth are shiny and clean, and if not, tell him that he missed something and brush him again. What if my child hates brushing? If your child resists desperately every time you brush her teeth, to ease that resistance, perhaps buying her a special cartoon toothbrush would be effective. Many moms say, “At first my baby hated brushing her teeth, but when I bought that Mickey Mouse toothbrush, she always got excited when it was time to brush her teeth. That’s one of my secrets to getting my kids to like brushing their teeth.” Or you can let your child have many colors of toothbrushes and let him choose the color of his toothbrush each time, which will also make it easier for him to “look forward” to brushing his teeth. Does my child need toothpaste? How much is the right amount to use? The main ingredient of toothpaste is fluoride. The right amount of fluoride provides good protection for the teeth. They strengthen the enamel of the tooth roots and can make them less susceptible to acids and harmful bacteria. They can slow down the aging process of teeth. But many tap waters have fluoride in them, and bottled water and even fruit juices have small amounts of fluoride in them. So for young children, there is no need to use toothpaste yet. Another reason is that it is a more difficult task for them to spit out toothpaste completely, which leads to them easily swallowing it or its foam, yet ingesting too much fluoride can easily cause fluorosis and can lead to white spots that will be visible on children’s teeth as adults. Therefore, experts recommend that children use toothpaste at least after the age of two.