As human beings, we all have two sets of teeth, the baby set which we get 20 of, start to come through from 6-12 months and usually have all their teeth by the age of 3. The second set, also known as permanent teeth, come through from 6-18 years old. The maximum number of teeth adults have is 32, including all four wisdom teeth.

One of the most commonly asked questions is “what do healthy teeth look like?”. Everybody has a unique set of teeth, all different colours, shapes and sizes however certain aspects like diet, oral hygiene and lifestyle can alter the appearance of your teeth. For new parents, this is another skill we have to help our children master.

10 Top Tips for Brushing Children's Teeth

1. Register with the dentist as soon as the first tooth erupts. “Dental Check by One” is the movement that recommends all children to have their first dental check-up before their 1st birthday. NHS dental care for children is free! NHS dental care in the UK is stretched, but it’s definitely worth contacting your own dentist to see if they will see your child. If not, then feel free to contact local dental practices in the area if they are taking on new patients. Dental practices are not the same as GP practices where you are limited to where you can go.
   
   
    
2. Start brushing their teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts. Starting brushing early helps children get familiar straight away so that when they become older, a good habit of toothbrushing is formed. Brushing babies’ teeth can be quite a challenge, but if you persevere, you will get there!
3. Brush twice a day to keep the bugs away. It’s recommended to brush last thing at night and one other occasion. Plaque can rebuild in as little as 4 hours after brushing so it is important that cleanliness is maintained, in order to prevent tooth decay from forming. Brushing at night just before bed is the most important as foods including sugars will be sat on the teeth from eating during the day, and overnight as we produce less saliva, sugars have more chance to attack the teeth and cause holes. The other optimal time is to brush after breakfast, as this means you will have a clean, plaque-free mouth for the morning when children go to school.
4. Use age-appropriate toothpaste that includes fluoride. Fluoride is an ingredient in toothpaste that neutralises sugar attacks on your teeth while replenishing your teeth with healthy nutrients that keep your teeth strong. Dental professionals recommend seeing your dentist regularly for a professional check-up to get more personalised advice. The amount of toothpaste and concentration of fluoride is important to ensure optimum dental health. For a child under 3 years, it is only recommended to use a smear of toothpaste that is 1000+ppm of fluoride. If you’re unsure, most children’s toothpastes have the ages written on them to make it easier to select which is the most appropriate toothpaste. For 3+ years including adults, it is recommended to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste of 1350-1450ppm concentration of fluoride. This will also be written on the ingredients of the toothpaste.
   
   
    
5. Disclosing tablets can be a fantastic tooth to help with oral hygiene. Disclosing tablets are a great tool to show where brushing may have been missed. Follow the instructions on the packet but usually chew the tablet and swish around the mouth for 30 seconds and then rinse out with water. Disclosing tablets stain plaque purple. A good time to use these is after children (allegedly) brush their teeth. Once any extra plaque shows, children can just brush the remaining plaque off. Can also be included as a family activity for all at the weekend, be sure to use it while staying at home for the day as it can stain the mouth and tongue purple for a few hours!
6. Brush for 2 minutes each time. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, the average person only brushes for 45-70 seconds! There is a good app called Brush DJ that is interactive and has a 2-minute timer with music. Electric toothbrushes usually have a timer too. Sometimes 2 minutes can feel a lot longer than what we think it is! If you split your mouth into four parts, and brush each part for 30 seconds, it makes it more manageable and helps you spend an equal amount of each part of your mouth.
7. It’s important to brush all 3 surfaces of the teeth, the inside, the outside and the biting part too! It’s also important to spend an equal amount of time brushing each part so all surfaces are clean. It’s quite common to see as a dentist that children are great at cleaning the front teeth (smile teeth) but have more trouble getting to the back teeth. Close supervision and training can help. Regular dental checks to check plaque levels will help educate how well children are doing at brushing.
8. Spit and don’t rinse! Rinsing the mouth removes all the goodness in the toothpaste and spitting ensures the toothpaste stays on and protects the teeth for longer. It’s really common to hear patients rinsing their mouth with water or mouthwash after brushing. The fluoride covered earlier is fantastic at keeping bugs away, and rinsing all the toothpaste away prevents the fluoride from doing its job! Quite a lot of mouthwashes contain fluoride too, but usually contain a lot less fluoride than in toothpaste and so will not be as effective. Mouthwash is recommended to use before brushing or at another time other than brushing (after lunch).
9. Brushing should be supervised and have a helping hand from mum, dad or carer. The age at which children can brush on their own is when they can tie their own shoelaces. All children develop differently, some quicker than others! Sometimes it can be difficult to gauge and one way to know for sure is regular dental checkups to ensure the health of teeth is maintained.
   
   
    
10. Use a mirror to help your child learn where their toothbrush is going and create a visual picture. A mirror can be fantastic for helping children develop brushing skills to be able to brush autonomously.

Want to keep learning? Find more articles from Dr Keval Chavda - Kev The Dentist:

• Dentophobia: Fear of the Dentist
• Meet the Expert - Dr Keval Chavda, Dentist
• Help on How to Effectively Manage Toothache
• HealthHubble Podcast: Introducing Dr Kev Chavda, NHS Family and Cosmetic Dentist