You should start taking care even before the teeth appear. You can get in the habit of wiping your baby`s gums with a soft damp cloth after your baby has fed. When teeth appear, start using a soft children`s toothbrush twice a day. In preschool-age children, use a tiny dab of fluoride toothpaste.
Do not cover the brush with toothpaste, a pea-sized amount is just right. Young children tend to swallow most of the toothpaste, and swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can cause permanent spots on their teeth.