Frida Baby Fingerbrush and ToothHugger: cleaning gums and first teeth

The Fingerbrush slips over your finger for cleaning gums and first teeth from birth. The ToothHugger is a toddler toothbrush with a U-shaped head that cleans the front, back and biting surface of each tooth in one pass.

Which brush when

• Birth to 6 months: Fingerbrush and water on the gums after feeds
• 6 to 18 months: Fingerbrush on the gums and first teeth
• From about 18 months: ToothHugger, when there are enough teeth and your toddler wants to hold the brush

Many families use both for a while during the changeover.

Using the Fingerbrush

1. Wash your hands.
2. Slip the Fingerbrush over your index finger, textured side out. It fits snugly and protects your finger if your baby bites down.
3. Use water alone for gums and for babies under 18 months.
4. Brush in small circles along the front and back gums and any teeth that have come through. Thirty seconds is plenty.
5. Rinse in warm water and store it in its stand with the lid on.

Using the ToothHugger

1. Add a smear of low-fluoride children's toothpaste, not adult toothpaste.
2. Let your toddler have a go first to build the habit.
3. Then you finish: guide the head over each tooth with gentle pressure.
4. Brush twice a day, in the morning and last thing at night. Spit, do not rinse.
5. Rinse the brush and stand it upright on its suction base, bristles up.

Care and replacement

• Fingerbrush: rinse after each use, or wash with mild soap and air dry. It is dishwasher safe. Replace it if the bristles wear or tear.
• ToothHugger: replace it every three months, sooner if the blue indicator bristles have faded to white or the bristles have splayed, and after an illness.
• Both are BPA-free and latex-free.