Wondering when you should start brushing your baby’s teeth? Not sure which toothpaste is best for your toddler? Need to schedule an appointment at the dentist for your child?
Many parents are aware of the importance of establishing a good oral hygiene routine for their children – but they often don’t know how to do it.
As a leading St Helens family dental clinic, Kiln Lane Dental provides restorative and preventative treatments for patients of all ages – ranging from infants to seniors.
Allow our family dentists to share a few tips and tricks to help you keep your kids’ teeth healthy as they grow.
Use a fluoride toothpaste
Brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to prevent tooth decay in both baby teeth and adult teeth.
Fluoride hardens the tooth enamel to make teeth strong and healthy.
Toothpaste contains different levels of fluoride and is measured in parts per million (ppm).
Our St Helens family dentist typically advises parents to choose a tube of fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride for children under the age of 6. After that, they can use toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm of fluoride.
Use dental floss
Flossing is an important part of a child’s dental care routine. It removes plaque from the surface between the teeth, helping to prevent bacteria from building up and causing tooth decay and gum disease.
As soon as two of your baby’s teeth touch – usually between 2 and 6 years – you can start to floss in between them.
By teaching your kids to floss their teeth early in life, they are more likely to keep it up in their adult years. And flossing daily will ensure that their teeth and gums stay as healthy as possible.
Cut down on sugar and sweets
Sugary drinks and snacks often cause enamel to erode, leading to cavities.
Whilst the best advice our St Helens family dentist could give any parent would be to remove sugar from their children’s diet altogether, a few simple swaps will make a huge difference to both their health and teeth.
For example, instead of giving them chocolate, crisps and sweets in between meals, eating a stick of celery, raw carrot or an apple will curb pangs of hunger while removing plaque from their teeth.
If your kids do eat sweet treats and sugar-laden drinks, ask them to brush their teeth or rinse their mouth afterwards to ensure the sugar doesn’t stick to their teeth.
Schedule regular dental appointments
Once your baby has got their first milk teeth (usually around 6 months), you should book them in for their first check-up at our St Helens dental practice.
Taking them to the dentist from an early age will familiarise them with the environment and our family dentists. When visiting the clinic, try to be positive and make it as fun as possible so they won’t feel nervous about going as they get older.
At Kiln Lane Dental, we have been treating patients of all ages for many years and are trained to deal with a range of kids’ dental health issues. We can examine your child’s teeth and gums and explain proper brushing and flossing techniques while they sit on your lap.
Toothbrushing tips for children aged 0-3
You can start brushing your children’s teeth as soon as their first milk tooth comes through. This is normally at around 6 months of age, but it can be earlier or later.
Whilst Mum and Dad will need to brush little ones’ teeth for them, it’s good to get into the practice of doing it twice a day – once at night before bed and first thing in the morning – for two minutes.
Apply a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste to your child’s toothbrush, and make sure they don’t eat, lick or swallow any of it.
Toothbrushing tips for children aged 3-6
Toddlers will probably need your help with brushing their teeth until they reach 7 years of age. But, as with anything else, the more they practice, the better they’ll get at it.
Continue to encourage your child to brush at least two times a day for two minutes – once in the morning before they go to nursery or school and again at bedtime.
To make it more appealing (and avoid tears and tantrums before leaving the house!), let them choose their toothbrush. It could be their favourite colour or character or one that lights up or flashes. And remember to swap it for a new one every 3-6 months when the bristles have worn down.
As they get older, your child will have more teeth to clean. So, squeeze a pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste onto their toothbrush and guide their hand as you brush their teeth so they can feel the correct movement.
Teach them to spit out after brushing their teeth and not to rinse their mouth with water. This will wash the fluoride off their teeth.
Toothbrushing tips for children aged 7+
Usually, 7-year-olds can brush their own teeth.
From this age, you can switch to a regular toothpaste containing between 1,3500ppm and 1,500ppm of fluoride which will be more effective at fighting plaque and preventing tooth decay.
Giving them a mirror will help them to see what they’re doing – ensuring they clean all of their teeth, gums and tongue. However, it’s worth watching them to make sure they’re doing it properly.
Aside from making sure they brush their teeth for two minutes, using an egg timer will make toothbrushing more fun.
Sign up for a child membership today
Here at Kiln Lane Dental, we believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life – and that includes receiving the right dental care and treatment. This is why we provide children’s memberships at our St Helens family dental clinic.
With these, your child will benefit from an oral examination and hygiene visit every year, on top of free fissure sealants and fluoride treatments.
Our memberships also include Parental Redundancy Protection for 12 months, as well as Worldwide Trauma Insurance (to protect against unforeseen accidental damage) and Emergency Callout Insurance in case your child needs to see an emergency dentist.
If you’d like to know more about our children’s memberships or to discuss your child’s dental care needs with our family dentists in St Helens, please call the practice on 01744 25776.