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There is a safe toothpaste for toddlers, it's made my Orajel. It's called training toothpaste and it is safe if they swallow. You should definitely start brusing her teeth twice a day. As for the dentist, you can wait until she is 3 or 4. The hair thing there is really no right answer. I have tried to put barretts in my dd's hair, she is 19 months, and they either fall out b/c her hair is so fine or she pulls them out. Plus she hates when i mess with her hair, so i don't do it too much, but your dd may be different, her hair may be thicker and she may not mind. You can give it a try and see what happens.

Like Krissy said thier is a toothpaste for toddlers, you are suppose to start brushing thier teeth as soon as they start coming in. My dd has long hair for a 19 month old and thick so I don't have a problem getting barrets in her hair but she don't like them either and usually will pull them out. I find she don't mess with ponytails much so maybe your dd won't either. You can buy bows and they are bigger and couldn't be swallowed.

I've been trying to brush my 15 month old's teeth since she was about a year. There is trainer toothpaste, you will probably have to go to wal mart or something. There is a gerber kind to ours came with a toothbrush. The only problem is when i give it to her and then go do something else, i usually end up loseing the toothbrushs, we've been through like 3 of them in like 4 months! So just keep an eye out.
I think if you want to bring your child to the dentist early around 1 you can, a lot of people do just so they will be used to it and not so scared of it later on. Not sure about the hair thing though, i've tried putting little clippys in dd's hair but they fall out,she still has very little hair.

Thank you guys sooo much! I don't know about putting her hair up since her hair still is thin, its just there is sooo much of it, and its really pretty I wanted to get her used to having it "done" she likes when i brush it, and she brushes it herself, so I was hoping to introduce actual "styles" but I think that barrets and clips may fall out. But it doesn't hurt to try once right?

For the toothpaste thing I am def. gonna try it, I want her to have good teeth so i think the sooner we start the better. But i do worry she may want to eat the toothpste instead, she loves to "eat" medicine, she never fights taking any medication like tylenol or motrin or when she once had a prescription. So i am scared she may think it is some kind of food...lol

I have considered taking her to the dentist now, to get her used to it, and just have them look at how her teeth are coming in and such to make sure everyting is ok... and I don't want to wait too long and her maybe end up with a problem tooth, I can't imagine having her first or second trip to the dentist be as scary as getting a filling or something.

Once again thank you ladies all so much, I was so stuck since this is my first, and it was easy when she was little, since I had read all kinds of books and such but now that she is growing up I don't know that the "books" can cover the individuality of each child, and its easier just to ask mothers who ACTUALLY have been there, instead of relying on a book. Thanks ladies, and any other tips or anything would be great since I'm not sure if maybe there is other stuff I should start with her now.

We use a xylitol based paste for kids. Xylitol is an alcohol sugar that starves the cavity causing bacteria (they eat it, but can't digest it). You have to only put a smidgen of it on the toothbrush, as too much can cause diarrhea. Try googling it; it's been shown to reduce cavities. Trainer toothpaste is ok, but it doesn't really have anything that fights cavities. We let ds play with his toothbrush (he likes to suck and bite it), and then always brush his teeth ourselves (front and back). He hates that part, but from what I've read it, it's necessary, especially I have had quite a few cavities, and I think ds inherited my teeth. We tried a kids' electric toothbrush for a while, because while they're holding it in their mouth, it's at least doing something, but now ds doesn't like it.