Toothbrushing Tips

[Miss Muffet]

Toothbrushing Tips

As a qualified dental nurse ('retired'), creating good toothbrushing habits is very important to me, so I have put this together for you.

Teach your child that brushing is very important to keep their teeth healthy. Brushing should be done twice a day, 3 times ideally. If for some reason a child refuses to brush more than once a day, the night-time brushing is the most important as when we sleep, our saliva production rate drops letting our mouths dry out and acid-producing bacteria flourish.

Use a soft-bristled brush and a children's toothpaste, putting a pea-sized amount onto the brush.

Create a brushing routine - start at the top-left outer surface and work your way round to the top-right, move the brush to the inner surfaces and work back, then finish with the biting surfaces. Repeat with the lower teeth.

NEVER apply pressure to the brush or use a scrubbing backwards and forwards motion - this just wears away the softer 'milk' teeth and forms an unhealthy brushing technique for adulthood. The correct way is gently, small circular movements, and the pressure should be no more that if you were gently squeezing an orange (if that makes sense).

If you can manage it without making the child gag, gently brush the tongue too.

The recommended length of brushing time is 2 minutes minimum, so consider investing in a timer - the best I have found is an old-fashioned egg-timer as it takes quite a while for the novelty to wear off.

Just because a child insists that they can 'do it themselves' doesn't mean that they will do a good job. Keep brushing your child's teeth (as well as letting them do it - you can always 'finish off') until they are 6-8 years of age. I still brush my 7 year-old's teeth every night.

Make toothbrushing fun. Sing songs, pull faces, make up stories about the tooth fairy and what she does with all of the teeth she collects (hats for winter is a good one, drinking vessels grosses me out!) or make up a game - pretend that the mouth is a garage or tunnel and the brush is a car or train - my DD says her mouth is a cabbage(!) and the brush is the caterpillar - that explains the tickling!

Let your child watch you brush your teeth and if you're brave enough let your child brush your teeth for you!

Don't forget to praise your child every time you clean their teeth, and every time they do some of it themselves. Ask to see their beautiful sparkling smile, give them lots of kisses and cuddles and make a big thing out of it. Have a sticker chart and when enough stickers have been collected they can have a treat, such as a trip to the park or seaside. Some children just like to have the stickers to wear, my DD points to her sticker all day and says "Jadey teeth clean", which is lovely.

If your child is nervous about toothbrushing, please don't force the issue. Pinning your child down will create a life-long aversion, so try to reason with him/her. Explain that nasty bugs live on the teeth that chew holes and make them hurt; gentle brushing 'sweeps' the bugs away and makes our teeth strong. Never bribe (especially with sweets) - you will only make a serious rod for your own back.

And finally, keep up regular visits to your dentist, from personal experience there's nothing worse than seeing a child with neglected teeth and a fear of the dentist - it is recommended you visit every 6 months.


A poem about toothbrushing can be found here

My Mouth poem can be found here