5 Tips for Keeping Your Toddler's Teeth Healthy

This post is brought to you by Orajel™ Kids. Thank you for helping to support the brands that make this blog possible!

Adalyn just turned one and has 8 teeth (update- just in the last week since I wrote this post, she got 2 molars!!). She has been teething a lot lately so I know that more will be popping through the surface at any time. I want her to have strong and healthy teeth so I follow these tips.
1. Never put your child to bed with a bottle
Juice, pop and even formula and milk have sugar in them. When baby goes to bed with this in their mouths, it stays on their teeth for too long and can lead to tooth decay. If you do give them something to drink at bedtime, give them water.

2. Skip the sugary drinks

You should not your child sweet drinks to carry around the house to drink all day. As a dietitian, I think that children should mostly stick to water and milk. If you want your kid to have fruit, give them whole fruit, not juice. Juice does not have fiber and does not have all of the nutrients of eating a fresh piece of fruit.

3. Choose healthy foods 

Foods high in acid and sugar can be harsh on your teeth. Choose nutrient rich foods such as fruits and vegetables for snack. Limit foods such as candy, cookies, etc.

4. Check your child's teeth often

Since Adalyn is often teething, we are always checking to see if she has any new teeth coming in. Teeth should be all one color so if you see spots or stains on the teeth, you should take your baby to the dentist.

5. Brush your child's teeth

We are very lucky that Adalyn loves to brush her teeth. If I am brushing my teeth, she gets jealous and whines for my toothbrush to brush her teeth! As soon as a child gets teeth, you can clean them with a soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush.

Teeth should be brushed at least once a day and it is best to do this before bedtime. Around age 2 or when your dentist recommends it, you should use fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush. Young children cannot brush their own teeth well enough on her own (although she thinks she can!), so I help her out and she thinks it is so funny.


We have been loving the products from Orajel™ Kids to keep Adalyn's teeth healthy. The Orajel Bubble Guppies Brush is perfect for her little mouth and it gets the job done without being too abrasive. When she does turn about 2 (or when our dentist recommends), I will start using the fluoride toothpaste. For now, we are using the Orajel Thomas & Friends Fluoride-Free Training Toothpaste which works well. 


Along with toothbrushes and toothpaste, Orajel™ Kids also has baby teething gels. We have used these on Adalyn's gums a few times when she has been in pain. I had a bad canker sore and actually used it on that and it worked really well.

Orajel™ Kids is having an Orajel Smilestones Photo Sweepstakes where one winner will will a $1,000 gift card along with an Orajel prize pack! The contest starts on 10/19 and lets consumers vote for the best and funniest photos. Feel free to upload a photo and vote!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Orajel™ Kids.