If you have a growing baby on your hands, you're probably preoccupied with making sure you do everything right for your baby from a health standpoint to get your little one off to a great start in life. While the baby's diet and any pressing medical concerns are probably at the top of your mind, one area you don't want to forget about is your child's mental health. As your baby becomes a toddler and starts growing teeth, it's time to start thinking about setting up an oral care routine. Here are some tips that might help.

1. Fluoride Toothpaste is OK

For many years, the general wisdom when it came to brushing your baby or toddler's teeth was that fluoride was a potentially dangerous substance for a child at that age. But you should know that this is no longer the case. The American Dental Association put a statement out in 2014 stating that it's OK to use fluoride toothpaste even with children under two years of age. So go ahead and give your child a little extra help with getting his or her dental care off to a great start.

2. Brush with Your Child Every Morning and Night

When your child becomes old enough to hold the toothbrush themselves, you should join them in the bathroom for a family brushing routine. By joining in on the "fun" with your kid, you can make them look forward to taking care of their teeth instead of making it seem like it's just another chore they have to do. Conversely, if your kid notices that Mommy and Daddy are slacking off with their oral care routine, they may wonder why it's so darn important.

3. Children Need to Floss Too

Flossing is something that even many adults don't do as much as they should That said, if you want to get your kid on the right path, you should introduce floss to the equation as soon as it makes sense. In other words, as soon as your child has two teeth that are touching each other, it's time to start flossing.

It can be difficult to get a young child on board with regular dental care, but if you join them for their nightly brushing session, they may be more likely to get into the habit. For best results, get your child started with both fluoride toothpaste and dental floss as soon as your family dentist says it's OK. For more best practices, contact a dental office like Parklane Dental.