How And When To Start Brushing Your Childs Teeth
When should you start brushing your babies teeth?
Once one little tooth appear in your babies mouth, it is important that you get them used to brushing as teeth are like buses – once one comes, they will all come. It is much easier to get your child used to brushing from an early age, rather than introduce it once your toddler has started growing up.
You baby’s first teeth will start to arrive when they are about six months old. By the time your toddler is two, they should have most if not all their baby teeth visible.
When your toddler grows up and is about six, their baby teeth will start to fall out and be replaced with adult teeth.
How to get your child used to having their teeth brushed
To begin with, you will have to do all the hard work of brushing your babies teeth as they will not have developed the skills and abilities needed in order to control the brushing movement.
When brushing your child's teeth, you should use a soft bristled toothbrush with a pea-sized drop of toothpaste on it.
Once they are a bit older, encourage your toddler to attempt brushing their own teeth, although this will mean you will have to brush your toddlers teeth afterwards. This allows your toddler to learn the co ordination that is needed to brush their teeth and it allows your toddler to understand why they have to brush their teeth.
Also encourage your toddler to watch you brush your teeth. This shows them that it is not a scary or painful process.
How to brush your toddlers teeth
It is not always easy to brush your toddlers teeth, so getting them to brush them is a compromise. But sometimes you just have to go in there so here is the best technique for it:
- Stand behind your toddler
- Cradle their head
- Get them to open their mouth
- This allows you to reach all teeth
How often should your toddler brush their teeth?
You should include teeth brushing in your toddler’s daily routine and it should happen twice a day.
You should get your toddler to brush their teeth after breakfast and encourage your toddler to give their teeth an extra good clean before they go to bed.
Keeping your toddler interested in brushing their teeth
Keeping your toddlers interest in brushing their teeth is going to be hard, so make it as fun and interesting as you can for them:
- Get fun toothbrushes – bright colours, your toddlers favourite characters etc. This will make your toddler want to use their toothbrush
- Electric toothbrushes – once your toddler has managed a manual tooth brush, spice things up a bit and get them an electric tooth brush
- Explain to your toddler – explain the brushing process and why your toddler should brush their teeth. This means your not just making your toddler brush their teeth as a punishment or because you are feeling mean
- Let your toddler watch you cleaning your teeth – This shows your toddler everyone brushes their teeth and it is not scary or painful.
