Good oral care is important from the very first tooth, and once your child reaches about two-and-a-half years old, they’ll be ready to start taking control. Read on for our top tips to help them through the 4 stages of tooth brushing.
Looking for advice on brushing your baby’s teeth? Check out How To Brush Your Baby’s First Teeth.
When should toddlers start brushing their teeth?
Dependent cleaning
From the very first tooth, you should be helping your child brush their teeth. Begin with them on your lap, getting used to the sensation of the toothbrush and once they’re a little older, have them stand in front of you with their head tilted slightly backwards as you brush their teeth using small circles, making sure to cover all the surfaces.
Supported brushing
From your child’s second birthday at the latest, brush their milk teeth twice a day for at least two minutes: once after breakfast and once before bedtime. Use a maximum of a pea-sized amount of low-fluoride children’s toothpaste.
From two-and-a-half years old your child starts to brush their own teeth. So:
- Start with the chewing surfaces.
- “Paint” circles on the outer surfaces.
- Brush up and down, up and down on the inner surfaces.
- Finish off by thoroughly brush their teeth and gums yourself.
Wobbly teeth
Take extra care when the first wobbly milk tooth falls out and makes room for a permanent tooth.
This usually happens around the age of six. The enamel on new permanent teeth takes about three years to completely harden, so they’re particularly susceptible to decay.
Thorough, gentle oral hygiene during this time is even more important. It’s also time to progress to a specialist junior toothpaste with a higher fluoride content.
Supervised brushing
From about nine-years old your child should be able to brush their teeth themselves. We recommend at this stage you regularly check, motivate and support your child with their oral health.
Independent brushing
Once your child has become a young adult, they should be completely responsible for brushing their teeth and looking after their oral health.
Taking your child to the dentist
- We recommend you make the first of many visits to the dentist after your child’s first birthday.
- Avoid going to the dentist only when something hurts. This way, your child will learn that regular, routine visits to the dentist are perfectly normal.
- We know no-one loves the dentist, but try not to act nervous in front of your child. They will pick up on this and think there is something to fear.
Which toothbrush should I use for my child?
Age 0-4
The Curaprox baby toothbrush offers gentle, exceptional cleaning for children aged up to four.
- Features 4,260 extra-fine, gentle CUREN® filaments that prevent injuries to the delicate oral mucosa – the tissue that lines the mouth
- A compact rubberised brush head to reach all areas of the mouth
- A rounded handle that helps children to hold their toothbrush the right way – with gentle pressure
- It’s easy for adults to hold as well – just in case your child needs a helping hand
- It comes in three colours – turquoise, blue and pink
- It’s recommended by dentists
- It’s “toxin-free” – and completely safe to use
Age 4-12
The CS kids toothbrush – recommended for children aged 4 to 12 – is based on our iconic CS 5460 toothbrush. It’s perfect for children’s mouths, easy for them to hold and extremely gentle on teeth and gums.
- 5,500 Curen® filaments densely packed on the brush head for exceptionally thorough cleaning
- Extra compact, slightly-angled brush head for optimal cleaning
- Curen® filaments: Incredibly gentle. Incredibly fine – just 0.09mm in diameter
- Octagonal handle. It’s almost impossible NOT to clean at the correct angle
How to brush teeth properly
It’s very simple but not many of us actually do it right! When brushing you should be moving the brush in small circular movements half on the gum line and half over the tooth. Work your way around the mouth and pay particular attention to the back teeth. These can be tricky to reach but turning your brush to a vertical position will help with this.
Also don’t forget the inside of the front teeth both top and bottom. Plaque can easily build up here. To brush a full set of teeth properly will take 2 minutes. When your child has started to brush themselves a little timer may be a good idea so they have something to guide them.
