Cleaning Children’s Teeth

I’m often asked questions about how to look after children’s teeth, how to brush them, when to brush them, what toothpaste to use etc, etc.

Children need to have their teeth brushed as soon as they get them. At first you can just use either a very small baby-sized toothbrush or a cotton bud. As the baby grows and gets more teeth use a very small toothbrush.

The teeth need brushing twice a day: every morning and every evening. As well as keeping the teeth clean for the baby/ infant, this is a great way of making sure that good habits are instilled

Use Children's Tooth Paste

I recommend using a child’s toothpaste for the first few years, before changing to a regular adult toothpaste. It’s a good idea to just use a very small amount of paste on the brush – about the same size as the child’s little finger nail so that they don’t get too much as it can have a strong taste.  I also recommend that after brushing the child should spit out but not to rinse – that way the fluoride from the toothpaste will be in contact with the teeth for longer and will do more good.

How often to brush

The teeth need to be brushed twice daily by an adult until the child is 9 or 10. This is because the child won’t have the manual dexterity to use the brush properly until they’re about this age, although they may look like they’re doing a good job.

Some children really don’t like having their teeth brushed and it can be a real struggle with some of them. I would encourage parents to try and make the whole process fun. Sometimes the parent is using too much strongly flavoured toothpaste so remember just to use a pea-size amount.

But sometimes there is no solution other than a wrestling match on the bathroom floor. Being the father of three children myself, I know that this is sometimes the only way. The important thing is that the parent looks after the child’s teeth and takes responsibility for getting the job done – the parent must be in control, not the child. Believe me, they will thank you for it in the end.

I’ll be posting a video demonstrating how to do the brushing so keep in touch.