Taking Care of your Child’s Teeth

As a parent you want to protect your children from life’s harms.  You can prevent and manage tooth decay by making sure your children have regular dental visits and by taking good care of their teeth. One of the main ways to keep your children’s teeth healthy and set them on the path to good oral health is by brushing their teeth for 2 minutes, 2 times each day. It may help to play or sing a song that is at least 2 minutes long while brushing their teeth.   There are smartphone apps with timers and songs available for both android and IOS.  Or download this list of toothbrushing songs that you can sing.

Brush your child’s teeth in the morning and before bed.
Use a child-sized toothbrush with soft bristles and fluoride toothpaste.
Its very important to use the correct amount of toothpaste

Young children like to do things for themselves. It’s good to let them brush their teeth while you watch.  You should brush their teeth too until they are seven or eight years of age, or able to tie their own shoes. Younger children just do not brush their teeth very well. They need your help.

Find a position where your child is comfortable and you can see your child’s teeth while you brush. You can sit on the floor with your child’s head in your lap. You can cradle them while sitting. Or you can stand behind your child in front of the mirror.

Gently brush your child’s teeth using small circles. Brush all surfaces of the teeth, including the insides and outsides. Have your child spit out any toothpaste that is left after brushing but do not rinse. The small amount of toothpaste that stays in your child’s mouth is good for the teeth.

 

 

Don’t give up if you are having trouble brushing your child’s teeth. Keep trying!

  • Try to make it fun. Use a timer, a counting game, or a song while brushing.

  • You can find some fun activities on The Mouth Monsters from America’s Pediatric Dentists or from America’s ToothFairy.

  • Establishing a healthy routine will stay with your child for a lifetime

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Baby Teeth Matter!

  • Baby teeth are the blueprint for your child’s permanent teeth.
  • Baby teeth hold space for permanent teeth that are growing under the gums.
  • When a baby tooth is lost before the permanent tooth is ready to come in, the teeth beside it may move and shift to fill in the gap. This can cause problems. The permanent teeth may come in crooked, misaligned, and crowded.
  • Baby teeth help a child develop speech by controlling the flow of air out of the mouth.
  • Baby teeth help a child chew food naturally and support good nutrition.
  • Healthy baby teeth will help your child smile brightly and feel good about themselves. It will boost their confidence when playing and interacting with others.

Need to find a dentist near you?

Brushing Toddler’s Teeth a video from the University of Maryland School of Public Health’s Horowitz Center for Health may give you some helpful hints.

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center has many handouts on oral health topics for parents:

For more information

Funding for this Tool Kit was provided by a grant from Northeast Delta Dental.