Toddler and preschooler dental care

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How to clean your child’s teeth

The first step is choosing the right toothbrush – one designed especially for children aged 2-5 years. These toothbrushes have small oval heads, soft bristles of different heights and a non-slip, cushioned handle. Also, they often have cartoons and fun designs on the handle, which might appeal to your child.

The novelty of electric toothbrushes can also appeal to some children. Some electric toothbrushes can give a slightly better clean than manual brushes, but it’s best to go with what your child prefers. 

Brush your child’s teeth twice a day – once after breakfast and once after dinner. From her preschool years onwards, encourage her to rinse her mouth with water after lunch and snacks.

The best way to clean your child’s teeth

1. Stand or sit behind your child so that he feels secure and is in a position where you can see his mouth.
2. Cup his chin in your hands with his head resting against your body.
3. Angle the bristles of the toothbrush towards the gum. Move the brush in gentle circles to clean the outer and inner sides of the teeth and gums. Lift your child’s lips to brush the front and back of the teeth and at the gum line.
4. Brush back and forth on the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
5. Gently brush your child’s tongue.

If using an electric toothbrush, avoid moving the brush in circles. Keep your hand still, and guide the brush across your child’s teeth.

Your child will want to start helping to clean her teeth when she is around two years of age. Letting her hold the toothbrush with you will help her to feel that she is participating. You can still make sure his teeth get a good clean.

Your child will need your help and supervision with teeth cleaning until he is about eight years old.

Flossing
You can start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they are touching each other, which can start from around two and a half years of age. She will probably need your help with this until she is about 8-10 years of age.

It is a good idea to floss your child’s teeth before bed a minimum of twice a week, and ideally every night.

Toothpaste and fluoride

You can start using a low-fluoride toothpaste on your child’s toothbrush from 18 months of age.

Fluoride is a mineral that helps build strong teeth and bones and prevents tooth decay. If children ingest too much fluoride, it can cause ‘fluorosis’, or a build-up of white marks on the teeth. Although this affects the appearance of the teeth, it does not usually affect health.

You need to use only a pea-sized amount of low-fluoride toothpaste. Encourage your child to spit the toothpaste out as you clean. He does not need to rinse with water, though. The small amount of fluoridated toothpaste remaining in his mouth will help build strong, healthy teeth.

Fluoride is also available in fluoridated water supplies. Fluoride is considered safe and beneficial for strong teeth. In fact, fluoride works best when it is ingested in very small amounts throughout the day via sources such as fluoridated tap water, foods and drinks containing fluoride, and low-fluoride toothpaste. 

Keeping your child’s toothbrush clean

After cleaning your child’s teeth and gums:

• Rinse the toothbrush with tap water to remove any remaining toothpaste or food.
• Store the toothbrush in an upright position and in an open container to allow it to air-dry.

If other family members’ toothbrushes are stored in the same place, make sure the brushes do not touch. This reduces the risk of transfer of decay-causing bacteria from family members to your child’s mouth. For the same reason, it’s also important that each family member has their own toothbrush, and that these are not shared.

Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3-4 months, or when the bristles have become worn or frayed.

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