Tooth care in children is essential to avoid childhood cavities or prevent gum problems in childhood. Correct child oral hygiene requires a series of habits and customs. The pediatric dentist or dentist specializing in children establishes a series of basic rules on how teeth should be brushed:
The toothbrush
It is important to choose children’s toothbrushes with small heads, short handles, and soft bristles that allow for comfortable handling. Our children’s dentists recommend that the initial toothbrush be a manual brush. Later, when manual brushing has become normal, the use of an electric toothbrush for children is recommended, which is more comfortable and effective.
The toothpaste
When brushing children’s teeth we should not put a lot of toothpaste, an amount similar to a pea is enough. Remember to use toothpaste for children with adequate fluoride content. The recommended are pastes of up to 500 ppm up to 2 years of age. Between 2–6 years of age, it is recommended to increase to 1000-1450 ppm, and from 6 years of age, the concentration can be 1450 ppm.
When to start brushing your teeth?
Tooth brushing in children should begin with the appearance of milk teeth and be supervised by parents until the age of 7. This guarantees the order, frequency, and effectiveness of brushing. Subsequently, this supervision will be gradually withdrawn until the children are autonomous.
The tooth-brushing technique
Tooth brushing for a child must follow an order and a technique:
We will avoid horizontal movements and recommend a sweep from the gum to the tooth or, failing that, circular movements at earlier ages.
We advise that children brush three times a day for 1 minute and not rinse their mouths with water when finished.
It is important that they brush their teeth after every meal.
The most important brushing is at night. We must ensure that it is the last thing that is done before going to sleep, and avoid eating any food with sugar.
We trust that these tips on how we should brush a child’s teeth will help you and solve your doubts. If you have any questions about dental care for children you can consult our specialists.
