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Will your child brush their teeth?

Here are some top tips to help keep your child's mouth healthy!

Bolitho Nursery / News & Events / Family Information / Will your child brush their teeth?
December 2, 2024

Will your child brush their teeth?

Oral hygeine is incredibly important. Parents and Carers have a responsbility to help their child keep their teeth and mouth clean. We know this can be a challenge but there are lots of things you can try to help make this part of your child’s daily routine less stressful, and more helpful.

First – here are the facts (from the NHS – they know their stuff!) Then we’ll give some top tips.

Children aged up to 3 years

  • Start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (usually at around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later).
  • Parents or carers should brush the teeth.
  • Brush teeth twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
  • Brush last thing at night before bed and on 1 other occasion.
  • Use children’s fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.
  • Use only a smear of toothpaste.
  • Make sure children don’t eat or lick toothpaste from the tube.

Children aged 3 to 6 years

  • Brush at least twice daily for about 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
  • Brush last thing at night before bed and at least on 1 other occasion.
  • Parents or carers should brush the teeth.
  • Use children’s fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride (check label) unless a dentist advises family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride.
  • Use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
  • Spit out after brushing and don’t rinse – if you rinse, the fluoride won’t work as well.

Now for the Top Tips to help you succeed – plus some success stories!

Our Home Learning Bag – please ask to borrow it! We have a home learning bag that has a story in it all about going to the dentist and keeping your teeth clean and healthy. There are also some small dentist toys that children can explore. The bag has had two big successes already this year with children improving their teeth brushing! We’ve had a lovely photo of one of the children proudly brushing their teeth which we put on display to celebrate this achievement!

Videos and Games – We would always reccomend limiting screen time – but a little video or game can be motivating for a child to help them brush their teeth. There are apps that show fun animations for 2 minutes to help your child allow you to brush their teeth for the full time. There are also videos for children to show the importance of teeth brushing.

Show them + play a game with a timer! – Leading by example is GREAT! Show your child that you brush your teeth too! Show them anyone else in the family brushing their teeth and give over the top praise to encourage your child to want the same praise too! Your child could hold a 2 minute timer and time you to turn it into a game!

Sticker charts – a little sticker each time they brush their teeth can be motivating for children.

 

 

 

Information from the Government

Tooth decay is largely preventable, but it’s still a serious problem among young children. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities oral health survey of 5 year old children 2022 and Public Health England oral health survey of 3 year old children 2020 found that:

  • nearly a quarter of 5 year olds in England have tooth decay, affecting 3 to 4 teeth on average
  • children from more deprived backgrounds are more likely to have tooth decay
  • 11% of 3 year olds in England have visible tooth decay, affecting 3 teeth on average

You can find links to the surveys in the useful resources section at the end of this article.

Having decayed teeth removed is also the most common reason for surgery under a general anaesthetic for children aged 6 to 10.

How do we support you at nursery?

We offer lots of dentist role play with the children. We have two sets of GIANT teeth and toothbrushes that the children love to explore and play with. We also have laminated pictures of teeth than we can draw on to represent food that needs cleaned off our teeth and children can brush this off with toothbrushes.

We read stories together and hold group times talking about how often we brush our teeth and how long for.

We share top tips with you as families.

We have a home learning bag that you can borrow to help your child learn through their play at home.

We are inviting one of our parents to visit in the New Year, she is a dentist and has offered to come and visit the children and talk about all about going to the dentist!

 

How Often Should You Replace Your Child’s Toothbrush?

Most manufacturers and dentists recommend replacing a toothbrush about every three to four months. You may need to swap out your little one’s toothbrush even sooner if the bristles become frayed or matted or if they curl out at the edges. The same applies to electric toothbrushes, which also come with bristles that eventually wear out.

The condition of the toothbrush is not the only reason you’ll need to swap it out. If your child is sick or if someone accidentally uses the toothbrush, it’s time for a new one. You don’t want your child’s little pearly whites exposed to any lingering bacteria, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution. (https://smileexplorers.com)

 

 

Advice form the NHS including a video showing how to brush your child’s teeth.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/teething/looking-after-your-babys-teeth/