When should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?

• Even before your baby has teeth, it is important to keep the mouth and gums clean.
• Wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp cloth twice a day, after their first feeding and before bed.
• Introducing your baby to the habit of having their teeth and gums cleaned should start right away.  This will:
  • Create a healthy habit
  • Make brushing easier once your baby has teeth
  • Make seeing an oral health professional easier (dental therapist, registered dental hygienist or dentist)
  • Reduce the risk of cavities
  • Assist with teething
• As soon as the first tooth appears, start using an infant sized, soft bristled toothbrush with a grain of rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.  Brush your baby’s teeth twice a day as soon as they have teeth!

How should I brush my kid’s teeth? Facing them, behind them, sitting, standing?

Position the baby or child in such a way that you have complete access and view of all the teeth.

Here are some examples according to age:

• 0 to 6 months:
  • Lay your baby in a comfortable position, making sure you can see into their mouth.
  • Use a clean, damp cloth around your finger to wipe the teeth and gums along the cheek side and tongue side.
  • Wipe your baby’s gums at least twice a day – after their first feeding and before bed.
  • Do not use toothpaste.
• 6 to 12 months:
  • Once teeth appear, it is time to start using a baby-sized, soft bristled toothbrush with a grain of rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
  • Lay your child down or position them so you can see inside their mouth – you need to see where the toothbrush is going and to pull back the cheeks making sure all areas are being cleaned.
  • Gently brush the teeth and gums.
  • Brush your baby’s teeth twice a day – after their first feeding and before bed.
  • Replace toothbrushes every three months or sooner if the bristles start to spread off to the side.

• Toddlers – Age 1 to 3 years:
  • Use a soft, child-size toothbrush with a grain of rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
  • Lay your child down or position them so you can see inside their mouth – you need to see where the toothbrush is going and to pull back the cheeks making sure all areas are being cleaned.
  • Gently brush teeth and gums all along the check side, tongue side, and where they bite.
  • Your child might want to try and brush their own teeth – let them practice. You will still have to brush for them to ensure all areas are being cleaned properly.
  • It is very important to supervise your child at all times when they have a toothbrush.  
  • Brush your child’s teeth for them twice a day – after their first meal and last thing before bed.
  • Brushing before bed is very important – food, sugar, and bacteria sitting on the teeth all night causes cavities.
  • Floss once a day with string type floss or floss picks to clean in between the teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach. It is important to floss between the teeth that contact/touch each other.
  • Replace toothbrushes every three months or sooner if the bristles start to spread off to the side.

• 3 to 8 years:
  • Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on a soft bristled, child-size toothbrush.
  • Lay your child down or position them so you can see inside their mouth – you need to see where the toothbrush is going and to pull back the cheeks making sure all areas are being cleaned.
  • Gently brush teeth and gums all along the check side, tongue side, and biting surfaces.
  • Brush twice a day for 2 minutes – after their first meal and last thing before bed.
  • Brushing before bed is very important – food, sugar, and bacteria sitting on the teeth all night causes cavities.
  • Make sure your child spits out the toothpaste once you’ve finished brushing.
  • Rinsing after brushing is not needed!  Fluoride toothpaste works best when it has the chance to sit on the teeth for a little while, so the fluoride can be absorbed by the surface of the teeth.
  • Fluoride toothpaste reduces cavities by strengthening the outer layer of your teeth (the enamel).
  • Floss once a day with string type floss or floss picks to clean in between the teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach. It is important to floss between the teeth that contact/touch each other.
  • Replace toothbrushes every three months or sooner if the bristles start to spread off to the side. 
  • Around the age of 8 most children have the hand control and skills to brush and floss on their own, however; supervision is still important to make sure it’s being done right.

When can kids brush on their own?

• You should help, supervise and brush your children’s teeth for them until they are around 8 years old.
• Children like to brush their own teeth and this should be encouraged.   Between the ages of 6-8 years, encourage your child to gradually take on more independence with brushing and flossing. There are a few different ways to do this:
  • Let your child “start” the brushing, and you finish off
  • Let them do the morning brushing and you do the evening brushing
  • You might alternate days – the child brushes and flosses one day, and the parent brushes and flosses the next day.  Kid-brushing days should still be supervised by parents or caregivers!
  • Floss picks are easier for kids to use, and for parents to floss their children’s teeth
• Brush twice a day for 2 minutes – after the first meal and last thing before bed.
• Brushing before bed is very important – food, sugar, and bacteria sitting on the teeth all night causes cavities.
• Individuals with dexterity issues or disabilities may require more support with tooth brushing, or might need support for a longer period of time.

What about kids swallowing toothpaste?

• Children should not swallow toothpaste.
• The best way to prevent your child from swallowing toothpaste is to keep it out of reach, and always help or supervise tooth brushing until children are 8 years old.
• Until children can reliably spit out toothpaste (usually around age 3), use only a smear, or grain of rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
• Once your child can spit out the toothpaste after brushing, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.

When do we start flossing? How do we floss kid’s teeth?

• Start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they have teeth!  Flossing is especially important once your child has teeth that touch one another.
• Flossing cleans the sides of the teeth where the toothbrush cannot reach.
• Lay child down or position them so you can see inside their mouth – you need to see where the floss is going and to pull back the cheeks making sure all areas are being cleaned.
• Floss sticks make the job easier for everyone – parents and kids.
• Around the age of 8 most children have the hand control and skills to brush and floss on their own, however; supervision is still important to make sure it’s being done right.

What about tantrums and tears?

• Your child might cry or resist tooth brushing at some point.  This is common – with patience and gentle persistence, your child will get over it.
• Cheerfully but firmly tell your child that we brush our teeth every day to keep ourselves healthy.  Your child will pick up on your calm and consistent approach.
• Use distractions – sing a song, tell a story.
• Make it a game – brush away/chase the sugar bugs so they can’t make a cavity/hole.
• Use a sticker reward system – do not use food as a reward as they should not eat or drink for 20 to 30 minutes after brushing.
• Use a timer, set it, and let them hold it, brush until the timer goes off.
• Reinforce the importance by having them watch you or a family member/caregiver brush. Then they get their teeth brushed.
• Be a role model and set good oral health habits early on for your child.

Why is it important to brush and floss?

• Brushing and flossing are simple, easy steps that you can do every day to keep your teeth, gums, and whole mouth healthy.  Your mouth is the gateway to your body – we eat, breathe and communicate with our mouths!  Oral health is an essential component of your overall health.
• Poor oral health has been linked to a variety of systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, pneumonia, diabetes, and Alzheimer Disease.
• Brushing and flossing your teeth every day helps to prevent cavities, gum disease and bad breath. 
• In children, cavities can lead to significant tooth and mouth pain, which can affect:
  • Sleep quality
  • School attendance
  • Being able to chew food properly, affecting nutrition
  • Being able to speak properly, affecting language development
  • Social well-being and self-esteem
• In adults, cavities and other oral diseases can also lead to significant tooth and mouth pain, which can affect:
  • Sleep quality
  • Work attendance
  • Being able to chew food properly, affecting nutrition
  • Being able to speak properly
  • Social well-being and self-esteem

• Brushing removes plaque/bacteria from the surfaces of the teeth and gum line.  Flossing removes plaque/bacteria from between our teeth and below the gum line, where the toothbrush can’t reach.
  • Plaque is the sticky film that builds up on teeth.  It is made bits of food and sugar left on our teeth after we eat, plus bacteria that live in our mouths.
  • Over time, the bacteria feed on the food and sugar bits, and make an acid.  The acid is strong enough to break down the outer surface of our teeth and make cavities.
    
    

Why is it so important to brush right before bed?

• Eating before bed without brushing your teeth leaves food particles on your teeth all night long.
• This leaves an “all-you-can-eat, all-night buffet” for the bacteria in your mouths that cause cavities.
• As the bacteria consume the food particles left on your teeth, they make an acid, which breaks down the outer surface of your teeth and causes cavities.
• At night, the effect is further worsened because your mouths don’t make much saliva while we sleep, and saliva normally helps to fight against the acid that causes cavities. 
• If you’ve already brushed your teeth with toothpaste in the evening and then need a late-night snack, brushing your teeth right before sleep with just water will remove the food particles before you turn in.

What is “Lift the Lip”?

Lift the Lip is a simple and easy way for parents and caregivers to check their child’s teeth on a regular basis for signs of tooth decay and gum disease:

• The earliest sign of tooth decay appears as white chalky spots on the teeth
• Cavities might look like brown spots or holes in the teeth
• Also look for lumps, bumps or red irritation on the gums
  
       

If you notice anything unusual, contact your health center or oral health professional (dental therapist, registered dental hygienist or dentist) as soon as possible - it is best to have an expert opinion.  

Your oral health professional can help treat any small problems before they turn into big problems, and help keep any tooth decay from spreading to neighbouring teeth.

• Lift the Lip with Healthy Smile Happy Child (The Children’s Hospital Research Institute)