Dear Parenting Team,

My baby has just started teething. How should I be looking after his brand new teeth? I have a baby toothbrush, but it seems like a bit of a drastic measure - his teeth are so small! Also, when should I take him to the dentist for the first time?

Thanks for your help!

Caroline

Our Parenting Team replies:

Dear Caroline

Thank you for your question. Once your baby's teeth start to appear it is vitally important that you look after them correctly. Taking care of the first or milk teeth helps ensure that when the permanent teeth come through at about six years old, they will be correctly positioned and in healthy gums. It will also help to establish life-long good habits.

You should start by ensuring that any drinks you give to your baby are in a beaker rather than a bottle. The teat on a baby's bottle tends to rest in the same place in the mouth and concentrates the liquid in that same place for as long as your baby feeds. But with a beaker the liquid is distributed around the mouth leading to less likelihood of developing tooth decay.