Cleaning - Brushing teeth - Dental hygiene for children

It is essential for the child's health, brushing teeth to become a lifetime habit from small age.
But until kids can brush on their own, their parents have to take care of their child's daily oral hygiene.

CLEANING THE MOUTH

Start cleaning the baby's mouth from the first few days after birth. After every feeding, wipe the baby's gums with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove the dental plaque formed on the surface of gums. Besides the benefit of having a clean mouth, your baby gets also accustomed to the daily dental hygiene routine by having its mouth cleaned by you and will not object to toothbrushing later on.

BRUSHING TEETH

Brushing your child's teeth, will remove the dental plaque bacteria which are responsible for tooth decay.

When the first baby teeth erupt start cleaning teeth with a soft damp wash cloth, at least twice a day.

Follow the tips in the next pages for preventing baby bottle tooth decay.

After the first birthday start brushing the toddler's teeth with a small and extra soft toothbrush. Be gentle while brushing, not to injure the baby's gums.

Some babies prefer teeth cleaning by using a special type of toothbrush that fits over your finger (without a handle).

Up to the age of two, brushing is enough for protecting the child's teeth. Use of toothpaste is not needed.

Give the right example to the child brushing your teeth together. Start teaching children how to brush their teeth using proper tooth brushing techniques.

After the second year start using a small quantity (pea size) of toothpaste for brushing teeth. Choose one of the specifically designed for infants toothpastes, that contain a low concentration of fluoride.

Explain to the child that the toothpaste must NOT be swallowed. Swallowing a fluoride toothpaste could cause fluorosis.

Teaching kids to brush teeth
At 3 or 4 years of age, your child should be able to learn to brush on his or her own with little help. You should supervise brushing to ensure proper tooth brushing technique until your child has the manual dexterity (and will) to brush effectively.

By 8 years of age, your child will probably no longer need your help. It is important that your child make toothbrushing a habit, as this limits tooth decay and helps prevent cavities.

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