How to look after your kids teeth
Knowing what to do to care for your kids teeth can be difficult. So here is the low down!
From 3 months:
Gently wipe their gums with a soft wet towel twice a day to clean off debris. This will also get them used to a routine and being in the mouth when you start using a toothbrush when their first tooth comes through.
From 6 months:
Generally, their first tooth will start to erupt from about 6 months of age. You can start using a damp children’s toothbrush twice daily to gently clean around the teeth as they come through. No toothpaste is needed at this stage as the spitting reflex is developed from around the age of 18 months old. Until then, toothpaste is not recommended.
It is okay to let your child have a go cleaning their own teeth, but make sure you are getting in there after them and give them a brush. Until the age of 7-8 years old, a child’s motor skills are not developed enough to get around each tooth effectively and remove plaque.
Once adjacent teeth start coming through, getting a Flossette (see below) between them once a day will help clean where a toothbrush can’t. This is especially important in back teeth as they can trap food and decay quite easily compared to adult teeth. Flossettes will make it easier for you to access the teeth compared to string floss.
From 2 years old:
Brush using a kids toothbrush and a small amount of age-appropriate fluoridated toothpaste twice daily. Encourage spitting out the excess toothpaste after brushing. Continue with the flossing daily to prevent decay.
Cleaning a child’s teeth can definitely be challenging. Forming good habits with children from a young age is important. Once a routine is formed, they are generally more compliant and less resistant to the process.