Dental+health

How should parents brush their toddler`s teeth?

Parents should be advised to start tooth brushing as soon as their child’s first teeth erupt. Tooth brushing should be part of a daily routine to establish healthy future lifestyle habits. Teeth should be brushed twice daily – once before bedtime and once at another time – but not before a meal if possible. A child should go to bed having just had his or her teeth brushed, and drinks or food should be avoided, apart from water.

Parents should use a dry, small (child-size) toothbrush with soft bristles. Toothbrushes should be replaced every three months or sooner if the bristles splay. When brushing, use:

a smear of paste containing 1000 ppm of fluoride up to the age of three
a pea sized amount of 1350-1500 ppm or fluoride paste over the age of three

One of the easiest ways to brush a toddler’s teeth is from behind. Comfortable and safe positions for the child are on the parents’ knee, sitting on a changing mat, in a baby chair / high chair or sitting in a pram or buggy. Don’t discourage young children who want to brush their own teeth, but parents should always follow this up brushing their teeth as well. Children should not be allowed to run around with a toothbrush in the mouth because of the risk of injury if they fall.

As more teeth come through, it is important to develop a system of cleaning them that ensures all surfaces are brushed thoroughly. Children should be supervised until at least seven years and always told to ‘spit don’t rinse’ and not to swallow the toothpaste. Excessive rinsing removes the benefit of fluoride. All children should be registered with a dentist from the moment their teeth erupt.