Oral Health
Keeping our teeth clean is important for good dental health. A regular routine will help keep teeth healthy and decay-free.
You should start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as the first tooth comes through. This is usually at about 6 months old, but can be earlier or later.
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- Start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as they appear
- Help to brush their teeth or supervise tooth brushing
- Brush teeth twice a day. Try and brush for 2 minutes each time
- Brush teeth at night before bed and one other time during the day
- Children this age only need a smear of toothpaste on their brush.
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- Brush teeth twice a day. Try and brush for 2 minutes each time
- Brush teeth at night before bed and one other time during the day
- Tooth brushing should be supported by a parent or carer
- Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste
- Spit out toothpaste after brushing
Children older than 7 may be able to brush their own teeth, but they might still need help to brush well and for 2 minutes.
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Check your child's toothpaste has no less than 1,000 ppm of fluoride or your families toothpaste has between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm of fluoride.
You can check this on the back of the toothpaste tube.
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- Gently guide your child's hand so they can feel and learn how to brush teeth properly
- Brush in a small circle movement on top, behind and in front of teeth. Don't forget to brush the gums too
- You could use a mirror to help your child see the teeth they are brushing.
Try and make tooth brushing fun. You could use;
- A timer
- An app, such as Brush DJ
- Sing Songs while you brush
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Children can visit NHS dentists for free.
Take your child to the dentist when their first milk teeth appear. This is so they get to know what visiting the dentist is like.
When you visit the dentist, be positive about it and make the trip fun. This will stop your child worrying about future visits.
Take your child for regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist.
Click here to Find your nearest dentist.
