At what age do children brush their teeth and how?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Parents should pay due attention to the personal hygiene of the baby, including the care of the oral cavity. That is why the question of at what age children brush their teeth should arise from mothers and fathers long before they begin to erupt. And do not think that milk teeth do not need cleaning, because sooner or later they will change anyway. In fact, the he alth of the molars largely depends on how well oral care was organized in early childhood.

When to start brushing your child's teeth

Some parents are of the opinion that brushing milk teeth is not necessary at all. In fact, they need to be cleaned and treated just as thoroughly as permanent ones, since insufficient and untimely care can lead to the formation of caries, and in especially difficult cases, to pulpitis and periodontitis. Subsequently, all this negatively affects the formation of permanent teeth.

So at what age do children brush their teeth? This should begin as early as possible, literally with the eruption of the first incisor. But the timing of the appearance of milk teeth varies from 4 to 10 months. After a year, fangs begin to erupt, and by the age of two, the baby already has a full set of teeth - as many as 20 pieces.

Basics of hygiene, or oral care before teething

Many dentists recommend that you start caring for your child's oral cavity before the first baby teeth begin to erupt. This is a good prevention of candidiasis, or thrush, and besides, it will minimize the inflammatory process when the teeth begin to erupt. So at what age do children brush their teeth?

Not teeth, but gums, children begin to clean at about three months, that is, a couple of months before their teething begins. To do this, use a gauze swab. To clean the oral cavity, it is moistened in boiled water and immediately after eating, they wipe the inner surface of the cheeks, gums and tongue with it. And about once a week, for the prevention of candidiasis and dental diseases, it is recommended to moisten a gauze swab in a weak soda solution.

First teeth cleaning

The very first appliances that parents use to clean newly erupted teeth are silicone finger pads. They are intended for massaging the gums during teething and for brushing teeth before the introduction of the first complementary foods. Then another question arises: at what age can a child brush their teeth with a toothbrush?

As soon as the baby begins to get acquainted with adult food, the first plaque forms on the enamel, which is food for caries and, accordingly, needs to be cleaned. That's when you can buy a baby brush. However, the brush can be with silicone bristles and can also be worn on the finger. But the use of paste is still categorically not recommended. For a one-year-old baby, it is enough to moisten the brush in boiled water and walk it over the surface of the teeth.

How to brush your teeth at 2 years old

When the child is fully introduced to complementary foods and he begins to gradually move to the main table, boiled water, with which parents moisten the toothbrush, will no longer cope with so much plaque and food debris. Here, the question of at what age to start brushing a child's teeth should no longer be faced by parents. Two years is the deadline. And urgently and immediately. Otherwise, the remnants of food that get stuck between tightly standing in a row of teeth (and by this age there will already be 20 in the dentition) will become food for caries.

That's why at 2 years old you need to brush your teeth with a special brush with toothpaste. Moreover, if a child from childhood was accustomed to brushing his gums, and then his teeth twice a day, then for him a new duty will not be a big problem and he will do it only with pleasure.

From whatage to brush your child's teeth with toothpaste?

So, the child is 2 years old, and the task of the parents at this moment is to introduce him to toothpaste and teach him how to use the brush correctly. But if the answer to the question of at what age children brush their teeth no longer arises, then another controversial point follows. What kind of paste to buy a child - with or without fluoride? Can adult toothpaste be used?

Brushing the teeth of a two-year-old child is allowed only with specialized children's paste. Compared to an adult, it contains less abrasive substances, has flavoring and aromatic additives. In addition, enzymes, casein, xylitol and calcium are added to children's pastes, which improve the structure of the tooth and have a bactericidal effect. For children under the age of 3, fluoride-free pastes are produced. A child can even swallow them without harm to their he alth.

Technique

The correct brushing technique for children is as follows:

1. The procedure for brushing children's teeth is similar to that of adults. The brush is applied to the base of the teeth and is directed upwards with sweeping movements. That is, cleaning occurs from the gums to the edges.
2. Similar actions are repeated from the inside and outside, right and left. In this way of "baking" it is necessary to clean all the teeth. In this case, the pressure on the enamel should be minimal. It is important not to damage your teeth or gums when brushing.
3. Chewing teeth should be brushed in a circular motiontop.
4. In the process of cleaning, do not forget about the tongue. It is cleaned with the back of a toothbrush, which is exactly what it is designed for.
5. Electric brushes can be used to speed up the process. At what age should a child's teeth be brushed with such a device? From about three years old, before this age it is not even worth trying.

When brushing your teeth, it is recommended to use elements of the game, such as an hourglass. The child should know that as soon as the sand is poured, cleaning will end.

Toothbrush selection

Another important point concerns the choice of a toothbrush. The fact is that the brushes that adults brush their teeth with are not suitable for babies. There are special requirements for choosing this remedy for children:

1. Don't buy natural bristle brushes for your child. The fact is that dangerous microorganisms and bacteria accumulate in it, which simply cannot be removed with a stream of water. In addition, natural bristles are stiff and can damage baby's delicate gums.
2. The toothbrush should be chosen according to the age of the baby. If he is under two years old, you can use finger pads to care for enamel and tongue, which also do an excellent job of removing plaque.
3. Toothbrush head size should be round and small. This will reduce the level of injury while cleaning the enamel.

Many dentists recommend buying electric brushes for brushing your teeth,that run on batteries. Their advantage is that plaque from enamel and tongue is removed efficiently and quickly. The only drawback is that not all children perceive such brushes adequately. For some, the vibration causes fear, and they categorically refuse to clean.

From what age should a child brush his teeth: Komarovsky E. O. and his recommendations

Renowned pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky gives his recommendations for brushing your teeth. He advises starting this process as early as possible, starting with the first tooth, and recommends using silicone pads for this. But parents should not forget that all this should take place in the form of a game, that is, the child should like the process itself. This will allow you to further develop a positive response to the obligation to brush your teeth.

Also, parents should not forget at what age a child's teeth should be brushed. At a maximum of 2 years, they should introduce him to brush and paste. Moreover, if the child categorically refuses to fulfill such a duty, it is not worth forcing him. If necessary, you can wait up to three years. The main thing is not to force brushing your teeth. It would be better to use such methods in education, in which the child will have a desire to brush his teeth on his own, without pressure from the parents.

Important tips for brushing your teeth

The key to a beautiful adult smile largely depends on how well oral care was organized at an early age. The following tips will help many parents avoid mistakes in the future:

1. To teach a child to care for the oral cavity should begin as early as possible, namely at the age of three months. Then there will be no unnecessary questions about at what age to teach a child to brush his teeth. Everything will happen gradually, just first a gauze swab and a silicone finger pad will act as a brush, and then a toothbrush with paste.
2. Paste should be of high quality, with a short shelf life and no fluoride in the composition.
3. Prophylactic check-ups by the dentist should be done twice a year. This will allow timely detection of diseases and timely treatment of teeth, which will subsequently have a positive impact on the he alth of the entire oral cavity.