How To Introduce Your Toddler To The Importance Of Brushing Their Teeth

Instilling within your child the importance of a proper oral health routine will help them avoid dental health complications throughout their life, improving their confidence and meaning that they won’t have to shell out for expensive dental procedures.

How To Take Care Of Your Child’s Teeth As They Age

(0 Months – 18 Months): As soon as the first baby tooth appears usually around the age of 6 months you should be brushing their teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush, but you should not use toothpaste yet. Instead, you should only use water.
18 Months – 6 Years: Use a small pea-sized blob of low-fluoride toothpaste, most toothpaste marketed towards young children should do the job. Dentists recommend that once a child reaches 6 months of age you should take them to the dentist for the first time, so why not take them to your local Dentist in Wakefield?
From 6 Years Of Age: Small pea-sized blob of fluoride toothpaste, you may want to consider giving them mouthwash at this age. But you need to ensure that they understand that they should not swallow the mouthwash afterwards.

How To Brush Your Young Child’s Teeth

Young children are not able to brush their teeth well enough so they often need an adult to help them. To achieve a better experience for both of you, you should communicate with your child about where would be the most comfortable for them to stand/sit whilst you are brushing their teeth. Keeping them happy whilst you are brushing their teeth will reduce the number of times they may move away from you or otherwise make it difficult for you to brush their teeth. Generally speaking, asking your child to sit down and rest their chin on your cupped hand will make it an easier experience for you both. Also sticking to the following guidance will help the process:

Brush the teeth along the gumline to ensure that you don’t miss any parts of the tooth, you should be brushing your child’s teeth for at least 2 minutes twice a day.
Brush in small circles and back and forth and make sure you do it slowly for the benefit of your child, you should brush both the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth.
After brushing your child’s teeth ask your child to spit out the toothpaste, but if possible do not rinse their mouth out with water as the water may wash away some of the toothpaste.

How to Teach Your Child How to Brush Their Teeth On Their Own

At around 2-3 years of age, toddlers are usually able to start brushing their teeth on their own, when toddlers start brushing their own teeth they are able to develop skills that help them brush their teeth. After your child has finished brushing their teeth themselves you should brush their teeth yourself to ensure that their teeth are brushed properly.

By the time your child reaches 8, they have the fine motor skills needed to brush their own teeth more reliably, however, you should still make a habit of supervising your child when they are brushing their teeth to ensure that they actually brush their teeth in the first place and brush them properly. If your child has teeth that are not straight you could consider using Invisalign First™ which is designed to treat simple to complex tooth straightening issues. Ask for Invisalign at Wakefield dentists.

Conclusion

Teaching your child about the importance of maintaining their oral health can have a wide range of benefits throughout their life, they will also have a framework to then put to use when exploring other healthy and beneficial habits.

How To Take Care Of Your Child’s Teeth As They Age

How To Brush Your Young Child’s Teeth

How to Teach Your Child How to Brush Their Teeth On Their Own

Conclusion

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