Toothbrushing 101: From Baby to First Day of School

We've watched enough toddlers clamp their mouths shut like a drawbridge to know this much: toothbrushing isn't a skill you nail once. It's a routine you rebuild, over and over, from the first gummy smile right through to the day they finally do it themselves without a fight.

So here's the short version, stage by stage.

Before the first tooth: gum wipes
Oral care starts earlier than most people think — as in, before any teeth are visible at all. Wiping your baby's gums with a soft gum wipe (or simply a clean, damp cloth wrapped around your finger) after feeds and before bed helps clear away milk residue, keeps bacteria from building up, and gently soothes gums during those early teething weeks. It also does something less obvious but just as useful: it gets your baby used to having their mouth handled, which makes the transition to brushing far less of a shock later on.

Matchstick Monkey's Baby Gum & Teeth Wipes are designed exactly for this stage — fluoride-free, individually wrapped, and simple enough to keep in the changing bag for on-the-go clean-ups after feeds. Their Finger Toothbrush Set is a natural next step from there — soft silicone bristles worn over your finger, so you're still in full control while baby gets used to the sensation of brushing before that first tooth even arrives.

First tooth to age 3
Once that first tooth breaks through — usually around six months, though every baby's on their own timeline — it's time to move from wiping to brushing. Twice a day, last thing before bed and once more, using just a smear of fluoride toothpaste (aim for at least 1,000ppm — check the box). Soft bristles, small circular movements, and don't rinse afterwards — a bit of toothpaste left behind actually helps it work. You're doing the brushing at this stage, not them.

Fluoride or natural toothpaste — which one?
This one comes up a lot, so let's be straight about it. Fluoride toothpaste is the option backed by decades of research and recommended by dental associations worldwide — it strengthens enamel and meaningfully lowers the risk of cavities, which matters most once your child's eating more than milk. The trade-off is that very young children who swallow toothpaste rather than spit it out can take in more fluoride than intended, which is why the tiny "smear" amount for under-3s exists in the first place.

Natural, fluoride-free toothpastes appeal to parents who want to avoid strong flavours and additives, and they're a genuinely sensible starting point for babies still learning not to swallow toothpaste. The honest downside: without fluoride, they don't remineralise enamel or protect against decay anywhere near as effectively, so most dentists see them as a stepping stone rather than a long-term substitute. Our take: it's less about picking a side and more about matching the product to how much your child is likely to swallow at each stage — and asking your dentist if you're unsure.

Age 3 to 6
Same twice-daily routine, bigger amount: a pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste now. This is the stage where kids want to "do it myself," and that's worth encouraging — just plan on finishing the job yourself afterwards, because little hands miss a lot of surfaces. A two-minute timer, a song, or a toothbrush that's actually fun to hold makes a bigger difference here than any amount of nagging.

Age 6 and into pre-school years
Independent brushing starts creeping in, but supervision should stick around until around age 7 — coordination takes longer to develop than most of us expect. Keep it twice daily, two minutes, spit don't rinse.

A local note: with Malta's heat, sticky ice cream afternoons and long summer holidays without the usual school-day structure, routines can slip in the warmer months. If evening brushing has quietly fallen off the schedule since June, you're far from the only household — it's an easy one to pick back up.

What actually moves the needle isn't a fancy toothbrush or a perfect technique (although a cool Electric Toothbrush always wins a few brownie points) —— it's consistency, twice a day, for years. That's the whole game.

Save this one for the next stage — you'll want it again in a few months' time. 🦷