Good Oral Health Begins At Birth Helpful Infant Tips Even before your baby’s first tooth, swab the gums with a clean, damp cloth after meals and at bedtime. Once teeth show, clean them with a soft-bristled toothbrush after meals and at bedtime. Do not use toothpaste until the baby is over 1 year old. Only use a nonfluoride toothpaste until your child can spit out the toothpaste. It is good to wean your baby from the bottle between 9 and 12 months of age. Do not put the baby’s pacifier in your mouth and then into baby’s mouth. Bad bacteria from your mouth can get into baby’s mouth. Take your child to the dentist for a dental check-up by age 2. Go sooner if your doctor refers you. Helpful Sleeping Tips for Baby DO NOT PUT BABY TO BED WITH A BOTTLE - IT WILL HARM THE BABY’S TEETH. Give baby a warm bath. Rock baby to sleep. Start a bedtime routine. It may take about 3 to 7 nights of the child crying to break the bedtime bottle habit.