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hmm that's weird the dr said that. DS's doctor really stressed how important it is to brush their teeth right when they get their first tooth. She said NO toothpaste, just water. DS loves when I brush his teeth though, I just run the toothbrush underwater, and lightly brush them for a little bit and then I let him chew on it.

Brushing teeth is one of those things I'm pretty strict about because I don't want my kids having cavities at a young age. The thought of them getting anesthesia for dental work just kills me!

So I've been bringing them to the pediatric dentist since they were really little. My youngest first went at 15 months. The ped dentist said toothpaste is fine. We use one called Spry because it has xylitol in it. Until she learns how to spit, we're going fluoride-free and a toothpaste with xylitol is the next best thing to fluoride in preventing cavities.

I brush her teeth 2-3 times a day. She hates it but doesn't mind it so much now after I've made a routine out of it. She sits in my lap and I hold her arms in close and brush quickly.

We struggled with how to brush DD's teeth in the beginning. Our dentist suggested that just letting her chew on the toothbrush was a good start and to slowly add in actual brushing movements as she got older. I've also heard that kids will mimic you if you brush your teeth while they are brushing theirs.

It's very important to start brushing and keeping those little teeth clean! I know you don't want to scare him, but toothpaste isn't as important at this stage, but the actual brushing and removal of plaque is important. I've seen way too many three year olds with bombed out teeth and think, how did it get this way!? It's definitely possible to get a cavity even when they're so little.

ETA: you can let him brush his own teeth for a couple of minutes, but makes sure you go and actually brush them afterwards. Little ones can't see all the surfaces. I always suggest parents do this for the first 5 years or so and then an assessment can be made whether they are capable on their own!