Baby teeth can arrive in any order. All 20 baby teeth usually arrive by 3 years. Start cleaning your child’s teeth as soon as they come through.

The 32 adult teeth appear between 6 and 20 years. Clean your child’s teeth and gums twice a day, once in the morning and once at night before bed.

Use a soft, small child’s toothbrush. Under 18 months, use only water for cleaning teeth. From 18 months to 5 years, use a pea-sized amount of low-fluoride toothpaste. From 5 years, use a pea-sized amount of adult fluoride toothpaste.

Sit or stand behind your child in a brightly lit place, ideally in front of a mirror. You’ll be able to see your child’s mouth, and your child can see what you’re doing. It’s easier to sit or even lie babies and toddlers on your lap.

Use your free hand to support your child’s chin. Ask your child to open up and say ‘ah’. Check for any signs of decay, like a white line or brown spots on the teeth close to the gums. Check for plaque build-up on teeth around the gumline.

Using small circular motions, gently brush all sides of each tooth and the gums. Brush backwards and forwards on all chewing surfaces. Brush for 2 minutes.

When brushing is finished, your child should spit out leftover toothpaste, but they don’t need to rinse out their mouth. Rinse the brush, and put it somewhere clean to dry.

Avoid giving your child sugary foods or drinks. Don’t give your child a bottle of breastmilk or formula when they go to bed. Always take away bottles after feeding.