Brushing

Brushing should start as soon as the first baby tooth erupts. Brushing should be carried out twice a day, and this should be supervised by an adult until at least 7 years old.

Children under 3 years should use no more than a smear of toothpaste and must not eat or lick toothpaste from the tube, as children will have a tendency to swallow toothpaste, which would then mean that they had an excessive flouride intake – this can cause “flourosis” of the adult teeth, causing the teeth to be greyish or flecked.

Rinsing with lots of water after brushing is not necessary and removes residual toothpaste in the mouth, which has a useful, direct effect on the tooth surface, making it harder and more resistant to decay – spitting out excess toothpaste is preferable. Regular 6 monthly appointments with the hygienist will help maintain ideal brushing techniques.

The hygienist may give disclosing tablets to you for your child to use to show up areas that are being missed. We do recommend using an electric children’s toothbrush if possible but if not it is important to teach your child to brush their teeth for 2 minutes each time.