Oral health is really important with both children and adults. Poor oral health can affect the ability to sleep, speech, play and socialise with other children. Other impacts include poor diet, pain, infections and many more. Tooth decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people and yet it is largely preventable.

Toothbrushing tips for parents/carers:

1 - Brush your child's teeth as soon as they come through:

As soon as your child's first milk tooth comes through, to begin brushing this.

This will usually be around 6 months old.

2 - Brush your teeth with your children.

3 - Guide your child

Guide your child's hand within the correct movement. This will ensure that they are learning the correct way to brush their teeth.

Use a mirror so that your child can see exactly where the brush is cleaning their teeth.

4 - Use a visual timer

Introduce a visual timer such as a digital timer or an sand timer. This will enable the child to watch how long they need to brush their teeth for.

When to take my child to the dentist

NHS dental care for children is FREE.

You should take your child to the dentist when their first milk tooth appears. This will ensure your child gets familiar with the environment.

When you visit the dentist, try and make it a fun experience. This will prevent your child from worrying about future trips.

Take your child for regular check ups.

Please see the link below for more advise on oral health

Children's teeth - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Tooth Brushing Song by Blippi | 2-Minutes Brush Your Teeth for Kids - YouTube

Early Years Resource Video - (©)Community Dental Services CIC, 2022 - YouTube

How to care for Children's Oral Health: (©)Community Dental Services CIC, 2022 - YouTube

http://www.hillfieldsdental.co.uk

http://www.densmile.co.uk

Tilly the Tooth - YouTube

Activities - Community Dental Services

How to take care of your baby or toddler's teeth - Start for Life - NHS - NHS

Oral Hygiene

“Brush up down and all around!”

First milk teeth appear around 5-6 months
Children under 3 will only need to use a smear of toothpaste.
At 6 years molars start to replace primary milk teeth

Why is oral hygiene so important for children?

Ours mouths contain bacteria; this bacteria combines with the foods we eat and things we drink which causes acid which damages our teeth and our tooth enamel. Children are also more prone to getting bacteria in their months as they use their mouths to explore toys and objects at young ages.

How can we promote oral hygiene for our children?

Brush teeth twice a day for 2 minutes each time - This can be from when they start to show their first tooth
Use fluoride toothpaste
Avoid sugary drinks
Take your child to the dentist when they turn 1
Take care of your own oral hygiene by brushing twice a day -bacteria from your mouth can pass to your baby’s mouth.

Oral Health