The importance of your child’s teeth cannot be understated. Developing good habits with your child from a young age is of huge benefit to their general oral health and well-being.
It’s never too early to begin. Giving them a great start to life as far as their teeth are concerned is relatively simple and you can help make sure that your children’s teeth stay healthy for years to come.
Using a fluoride toothpaste is just as important for children, as it is for adults. It strengthens tooth enamel, making it more resistant to tooth decay – a huge problem millions of children in the UK currently suffer from and something that can be avoided.
For children up to age three, it is best to use a smear of toothpaste with 1000ppm (parts per million) fluoride, followed by a pea sized blob of 1350ppm fluoride toothpaste for older children. Many toothpastes have the recommended ages on their labelling, so finding the right one is straightforward.
Getting children involved in looking after their oral health can sometimes be challenging; one simple way of involving them can be getting them to choose their own toothbrush.Timers can be helpful too, so they brush for 2 minutes every morning and at bedtime.
Make it fun by using songs, reward charts and games… there are lots available on mobile apps.
To be on the safe side, we do recommend that children are supervised while brushing their teeth until they are at least seven years old.
For more advice, visit teethteam.org.uk/resources-for-families