Children
The sooner we start forming good dental hygiene habits for children, the greater are the chances for healthy and beautiful teeth in the future. If milk teeth are healthy, there is a bigger chance for strong permanent teeth.
Teaching good oral hygiene habits to children should include cleaning teeth in the morning and in the evening, having routine exams with the dentist and limiting snacks between meals.
Babies: 6 months - 1 year
At around 6 months your child will start teething.
Start brushing with young child toothpaste as soon as the teeth appear.
Just use a smear of toothpaste.
Bring your baby for a check up with you when the teeth start to appear.
Try to avoid giving your child a dummy as this can cause your child’s teeth to move.
Useful tips
To help your child try:
- Chilled teething rings
- Sugar free teething gel
- Sugar free calpol or nurofen
Signs of teething:
- Increased chewing
- Swollen gums
- Red flushed cheeks
- Increased dribbling
- Irritability
Your child’s baby teeth start to form at six weeks into your pregnancy with their adult teeth starting at birth!
Pre-school: Age 1 year - 3 years
Don’t worry if your child’s teeth have taken longer to come through.
Continue to help with brushing using a children’s toothpaste with fluoride.
Just use a smear of toothpaste.
Brush for 2 minutes twice per day.
Bring your child for regular checkups at the dentist.
Useful tips
Make the trip to the dentist a fun and exciting experience, practice with your child before they come in.
Try to wean your child off a bottle and Sippy cup for any drink other than water as milk and juice are the main cause of tooth decay in small children.
If your child takes regular medication try and opt for a sugar free version as these can affect your child’s adult teeth which are forming.
Infants: Age 3 years - 5 years
Children will want to brush their teeth themselves within this age group, but you should still check they are doing it correctly.
Check for red gums and any visible debris on their teeth.
Make sure the toothpaste your child is using has 1,000ppm fluoride in it.
Children should use a pea size blob of toothpaste.
Limit sweets and juice to meal times.
Don’t brush your child’s teeth immediately following a meal wait at least half hour.
Continue to bring your child for regular checkups.
Useful tips
Toothbrushing tips
- Brush your child’s teeth for 2 minutes twice per day
- Encourage them to spit out excess toothpaste, but not to rinse with lots of water. Rinsing after tooth brushing will wash away the fluoride and make it less effective
- Supervise tooth brushing until your child is seven or eight years old
How to help your child brush their teeth
- Guide your child’s hand so they can feel the correct movement
- Use a mirror to help your child see where the brush is cleaning their teeth
- Make tooth brushing fun use a egg timer for them to see how long to brush for
- Don’t let your child run around with their toothbrush in their mouth as they may have an accident and hurt themselves
Juniors: Age 5 years to 8 years
From 6 years old children can now start to use normal adult toothpaste.
Your child’s adult teeth will start to appear around 6 years old.
Your child will probably be brushing their own teeth but still check from time to time.
At your child’s visit to the dentist they will be offered a fluoride treatment if your child requires this.
Your child’s dentist may recommend a session with our dental therapy team to create a preventative oral care action plan that we call Tiger Bites. The plan will be specific to your child's needs and will help develop new skills and understanding of how to prevent tooth decay.
Useful tips
Don’t panic if your child’s adult tooth is coming through in a strange position, their baby tooth has not caused this, it has grown in that position.
Make the tooth fairy visits a child staying at your house during the tooth fairy years.
Older children: Age 9 to 16 years
As children get older they can begin to push boundaries and may not always follow the rules so try new oral care strategies.
Useful tips
- Set phone reminders and timers for brushing
- Download brushing apps
- Introduce flossing and interdental brushes
- Water bottle – the best fashion accessory ever
- Wear mouthguards in sport to avoid trauma
