The 1st Tooth Crosstalk | Episode 2 | Brush Early Brush Right - Practical Pearls for Clinicians - Video

We bring you Episode 2 of The 1st Tooth Crosstalk: Brush Early Brush Right - Practical Pearls for Clinicians.

In this episode, we are joined by two leading pediatricians - Dr. Kheya Ghosh Uttam and Dr. Debasish Misra—along with Dr. Dipto De, dentist, all from Kolkata. Together, they highlight how clinicians can guide parents in building healthy oral habits from the very first tooth.

Parents often ask when to start brushing, how to maintain baby oral hygiene and how feeding habits affect early decay. Clinicians play a key role in guiding proper brushing techniques, age-appropriate toothpaste use and helping families make brushing a simple daily routine.

Dental caries in pre-schoolers often linked to diet, oral hygiene, and early feeding habits. Studies have shown that preventive steps like tooth brushing and infant oral hygiene practices started soon after birth are key to lifelong oral health.

In this session, our experts shared practical, evidence-based pearls — from the ideal time to begin brushing, to motivating families, to improving brushing compliance in infants and toddlers.

They answered the following questions:

1. When should brushing ideally begin — at first tooth eruption or later?

2. What are the challenges parents face in maintaining oral hygiene in babies?

3. How much influence do feeding habits (bottle feeding, night feeding, etc.) have on early dental decay?

4. What’s the correct brushing technique and appropriate toothpaste choice for infants and toddlers?

5. How can pediatricians motivate parents to establish brushing as a routine?

6. What practical tips can pediatricians share for managing brushing compliance in children?