When is the best time to start brushing your child's teeth? How to brush children's teeth: when to start, what tools to use

Then the first question, for sure, will be “do I need to brush my teeth in early childhood?”. In addition, you will need to figure out which toothbrush and paste can be used for this procedure, how to teach the baby to use these items in general. All these questions will be answered in the presented material.

At what age should a child brush their teeth

Many mothers underestimate the importance of the procedure in question and start teaching the baby how to use a toothbrush late. Pediatricians say that cleaning the mouth and teeth should be started from the moment when the child already has at least one tooth. As a rule, this corresponds to the age of 5-6 months and at this time it is enough to carry out one brushing of the tooth per day.

Closer to one and a half years, the child will need to be taught to brush his teeth at least twice a day, and if this procedure does not irritate him, then three.

How to brush your child's teeth

Until the age of 1 year, the baby needs to clean his teeth and mouth with a soft cloth or gauze, which should first be moistened with water. On sale there are special nozzles on the finger in the form of soft rubber brushes that parents can use.

Closer to the age of one year (10-11 months), the baby can buy a toothbrush. This item should be selected individually, paying attention to the soft pile - there are toothbrushes on sale that are designed just for use by kids, and they will be the best option. In no case should the toothbrush injure the gums or enamel on the teeth.

Note:at the age of 3 years, apart from a toothbrush, the baby will not need anything else. Toothpastes, gels and powders are banned.

In the period of 1-3 years, the baby needs to brush his teeth and clean the entire oral cavity twice / thrice a day, and parents should do this. Of course, the child will try to carry out the hygiene procedure himself - you must immediately teach him how to hold a toothbrush correctly. But technically it is difficult for a child to brush his teeth and clean his mouth even at the age of three, so the help of parents will be needed in any case. Just a three-year-old baby can already buy a special, children's toothpaste.

In order not to miss something important in the process of teaching a child to brush their teeth, parents should remember a few simple rules regarding oral hygiene appliances:

How to choose a toothbrush for a child

Experts say that parents will be able to choose the right toothbrush for their baby if they remember and use the following recommendations:

You can not buy brushes made of natural bristles - pathogens multiply very quickly on such material. If a child uses just such a toothbrush, then stomatitis may develop in the oral cavity.
If you are going to buy a toothbrush for a child aged 1-3 years, then when choosing, you should pay attention to its handle - it must be strong and thick so that the baby can confidently hold it.
The bristles on the hygienic device in question should be collected in "section-groups", of which there should be 23 pieces.
A child under the age of 5 should only use a very soft toothbrush.
The length of the child's toothbrush head should not exceed 23 mm.

Some trademarks on sale there is a complete set of hygienic devices under consideration: a thimble brush (suitable for a six-month-old baby), with a small head and a thick handle (will be the best option for a child of 1-2 years old), the largest (will speed up the child's learning process).

We recommend reading:

General principles for proper brushing of teeth for a one-year-old child

As soon as the baby is 1 year old, you need to clean his mouth and teeth with a special brush with a long handle. Pediatricians and pediatric dentists note a bad trend - parents do not know how, and do not know how to properly brush their children's teeth, which leads to enamel abrasion and early caries. But it is enough to adhere to a clear algorithm to avoid such problems:

Another important point: pediatricians and pediatric dentists recommend brushing your baby's teeth for two minutes. This procedure may be unpleasant for the child, he may begin to act up, but you can find a way out of the situation - for example, buy an hourglass for 2 minutes and invite the child to keep track of time, or put a two-minute cartoon to watch.

How to teach your child to brush their own teeth

Quite often, parents are faced with the fact that the baby flatly refuses to brush his teeth on his own. In this case, you need to turn the process in question into a game! First, you need to buy him a beautiful, bright and unusual toothbrush. In addition to it, it is worth buying a “delicious” toothpaste, but only one that can be swallowed. Secondly, you can invite your child to play “cleaners” - whoever cleans their teeth better and more thoroughly will receive a prize (for this, you should stock up on bright stickers and healthy sweets). Thirdly, you can find films on the Internet about how to brush your teeth properly - demonstrating the “requirements” in action often has a positive effect on the desires of the baby.

Usually, by the age of 4-5, children are able to brush their teeth on their own. If the parents taught the child to this hygiene procedure from the very early age, then brushing your teeth will become a familiar "event".

What is the need for children to brush their teeth

Many parents believe that the “milk” teeth of a child are temporary, they do not have any special function: “they will be replaced by permanent ones, then they will need to be cleaned.” This is the wrong opinion! It is very important to brush your teeth from early childhood and there are several reasons for this:

milk teeth form and ensure the correct growth of permanent teeth;
any teeth are involved in the formation of the bones of the skull, and therefore have a great influence on the formation of facial features;
if brushing teeth is carried out irregularly, then pathogenic bacteria will enter the baby's body (from the oral cavity to the intestines), which can lead to the development of quite serious pathologies;
if the care of the teeth and oral cavity is not carried out correctly, this will lead to the development

The time when you need to start brushing your baby's teeth depends on the appearance of the first tooth. After all, rotten or lost teeth interfere good nutrition and speech development.

Useful information from a pediatrician about.

It is necessary to brush your child's teeth from the moment the first tooth appears. The procedure is carried out twice a day. If you start early, your baby will get used to the brushing process faster.

You can use toothbrushes. They should be very soft and have no more than three rows of bristles.

Throw away any toothbrushes that have become rough around the edges or are more than 2 to 4 months old because pathogenic bacteria begin to grow and multiply on such brushes.

The baby's first tooth is most likely to be the lower anterior. In most cases, it appears when the baby is about six months old. However, the time it takes for the first tooth to erupt can vary greatly. Some newborns already have one tooth! In other children, teeth appear only at the age of one.

The child will eventually have 20 baby teeth. All this should happen by the time the baby is 2.5 - 3 years old.

It is best to keep brushing your child's teeth until they are at least seven years old. By this age, the child should be able to do it on their own.

Do I need to clean my baby's gums before teething?

Even before the first tooth appears, it would be a good idea to get into the habit of wiping the gums with gauze or a soft, damp cloth while bathing. You don't need to use any toothpaste. Simply wrap your index finger in a cloth or gauze and gently rub your baby's gums.

Bacteria in the mouth usually cannot harm the gums until the teeth appear. But sometimes it can be difficult to tell when teeth begin to erupt, so it's a good idea to start your baby's oral care early.

Introducing your child to oral care should make the transition to brushing easier later on.

Choosing the best toothpaste for your child

Nowadays, the variety of toothpastes, different brands and flavors, specially designed for children, has increased significantly. Having so many options can make choosing the best toothpaste for your child's dental health more difficult than expected.

Choosing the right toothpaste is a significant factor in establishing good oral hygiene habits and maintaining a healthy smile in your child.

When you give your child snacks between meals, choose delicious food like cheese or vegetables.

To really give your child the best chance of healthy teeth, do following:

Offer as drinks baby only mother's milk, milk formulas or chilled boiled water.
Avoid fruit juices, flavored milk, and carbonated drinks. They usually contain a lot of sugar and cause cavities.
At about six months, teach your baby to drink from a glass. When he is one year old, try to wean him off the bottle. At night, drink only milk or water.
Keep your child healthy balanced diet. Encourage him to enjoy tasty foods like vegetables and cereals. Don't add sugar to your food.
If you are using cooked baby foods, make sure they do not contain sugar or sweeteners. Remember that other sugars, such as fructose and glucose, are just as bad for a child's teeth as plain sugar.
If to a small child need to take medication, choose sugar-free options.

When you teach your children how to brush their teeth, dental office staff can help. Developing good oral hygiene habits will help children maintain healthy teeth for years to come.

From this article you will learn:

when to start brushing your baby's teeth
how to choose the right toothpaste for a child (brush),
how to brush your child's teeth at a year, at 2 years old ...

Milk teeth are very important for a child, because they provide both jaw growth and good chewing of food, participate in the formation of correct pronunciation (diction). Therefore, it is very important for parents to know: when to start brushing your baby's teeth, how to teach a child to brush their teeth, which paste is best and safest to use.

At what age should a child's teeth be brushed?

When to start brushing your child's teeth this must be done from birth. Hygiene frequency: at least 2 times a day (after breakfast and after the last daily feeding).

To clean a child's gums –
1) put the baby on your knees (put his head closer to your chest),
2) Gently but firmly, rub a clean, damp gauze pad over both sides of your upper and lower gums (you can wrap a piece of bandage around your finger for convenience). In addition, there are special fabric fingertips for this purpose.

How to properly brush your child's teeth

How to brush your 1 year old's teeth: Brush your teeth twice a day: in the morning (after breakfast) and before bed. Brushing your teeth should last 2 minutes. During cleaning, pay special attention to large chewing teeth (their chewing surface contains grooves, in which caries is formed in the first place in children).

Change your brush every 3 months, but possibly earlier if the bristles of the toothbrush “fluff out” before this period (worn bristles are very poor at removing microbial plaque). If you have two children, each of them should have their own toothbrush. In no case should you brush your child's teeth with someone else's toothbrush (including your own).

Electric children's toothbrushes –
from about 3 years of age, you can add variety to the oral hygiene of the child - with the help of. Such a brush will be interesting for the child and will make the routine process of brushing teeth much more interesting. Moreover, so that the child is not afraid - you can do everything again in the form of a game: you brush your child's teeth, and the child brushes your teeth.

Just keep in mind that everyone should have their own nozzle, because. You should not infect the child's oral cavity with the microflora of your oral cavity (for the same reason, you cannot eat from one spoon, try the child's food with his spoon). When buying an electric brush, pay attention to the age marking: there are different models of brushes that are recommended for use from 3 years old, from 5 years old, and also from 10-12 years old.

How to choose the right toothpaste for your child

Most parents of toddlers are unaware that 99% of toothpaste reviews on the Internet are hidden advertising or anti-advertising. Moreover, most of all it is on women's forums and blogs. The main target audience of such commentators is women, because in most cases, it is they who choose and buy hygiene products for both children and the whole family.

The main lie and manipulation in such comments concerns the so-called "harm of fluoride toothpastes", and the need to use exclusively calcium toothpastes in children. This is beneficial for several Russian manufacturers specializing in the production of calcium-containing toothpastes.

Strategy for choosing pastes with fluoride or calcium in children -

Firstly, fluorine is by no means a poison and is even very useful for teeth (including children's). Both the Russian Dental Association and the European Society of Dentists claim the exceptional benefits of fluoride toothpastes. And this is confirmed by thousands of clinical studies conducted around the world.

Next, we will consider: what kind of paste to choose, based on age, the state of the oral cavity and other conditions, as well as special pastes that relieve the symptoms of teething and help to prevent stomatitis in a child.

Children under the age of 1 –
There are strict restrictions on the use of fluoride toothpastes only in children under the age of 1 year. Those. at this age it is really optimal to use toothpastes with calcium (calcium glycerophosphate or hydroxyapatite). This is due to a greater extent to the fact that the enamel of erupting teeth is very weak, tk. contains very few minerals (calcium), and therefore it is especially vulnerable to caries.
To a lesser extent, this is a consequence of the fact that children sometimes swallow delicious toothpaste. Dangerous if swallowed only sodium lauryl sulfate and preservatives(more precisely - parabens), to a lesser extent - dyes. Fluoride, if swallowed, is only dangerous if you live in an area with high levels of fluoride in drinking water. In this case, the child will receive even more fluorine, and its total excess in the body (during the period of laying and teething) can lead to dental fluorosis.
However, if you use water filters at home, then you need to keep in mind that carbon and osmotic filters remove approximately 80-84% of fluorine from water. And this means that there can be a lot of fluoride in the water under the tap, but not enough in the water from the filter. And if there is little fluorine, then the risk of developing caries increases sharply ...
Some great pastas for kids: photo

Children aged 1 to 6 years –
Numerous clinical studies have shown the complete safety of using fluoride-containing toothpastes with a fluoride concentration of up to 500 ppm inclusive in children aged 1-6 years. All normal toothpastes have information on the concentration of fluoride on the packaging.
At this age, it is optimal to use calcium toothpastes, but only if your child has completely healthy teeth, or there is only a single caries. But, if there are three or more carious teeth, then the child needs a fluoride-containing toothpaste.

Children over 6 years old –
in children older than six years of age, the optimal concentration of fluoride is 1000 ppm. In children over 12 years old, it is optimal to use the same toothpastes as in adults, i.e. with a fluorine concentration of about 1400 ppm.
But if you want to get super strong and healthy teeth from your child, then we recommend:
1) or alternate toothpastes - in the morning clean with a paste with calcium glycerophosphate or hydroxyapatite, and in the evening with a paste with fluorine in the form.
2) or use regular calcium paste, but after brushing your teeth, be sure to use a mouthwash with fluoride (such rinses can be used in children from 6 years old).

Toothpastes to relieve the symptoms of teething -

There are several toothpastes that contain anti-inflammatory ingredients that can make teething easier for a baby. At the beginning of the article, we already talked about SPLAT Junior toothpastes for children from 0 to 4 years old, containing licorice extract, glycyrrhizinate, creatine and arginine. In addition, this manufacturer produces for children not only foams with a similar composition, but also toothpastes.

Toothpastes if your child has frequent stomatitis -

In early childhood, children have fairly frequent outbreaks of various forms of stomatitis on the oral mucosa. You can, of course, treat regularly. But it is much more effective to use special toothpastes for the prevention of stomatitis, which increase the protective properties (local immunity) of the oral mucosa.

This property has a complex of 4 enzymes: lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, glucose oxidase and lysozyme. These enzymes are part of

foam for teeth and gums "SPLAT Junior" (Fig. 15),
toothpaste "SPLAT Junior" (Fig. 16),
toothpaste "SPLAT Juicy Set" (Fig. 17).

Ekaterina Morozova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Some parents believe that they should start brushing their teeth only when there are already at least 20 teeth in their mouths. Others begin active brushing immediately after teething. Experts also recommend that you start caring for your teeth even before they appear.

And, regardless of the age at which the first toothbrushing procedure falls, the main question becomes relevant - how to instill this habit in the baby.

How to properly clean the tongue and mouth of a newborn before teeth appear

It would seem, well, why does a newborn need oral hygiene - after all, there are no teeth to be seen yet!

Not many mothers know, but infant oral hygiene is a prevention of an infection that is very common in infants, which begins with reddening of the mucous membrane and swelling of the gums.

The reason for this is the banal dirt that got into the baby's mouth with an unwashed nipple, rattle, rodent, or even through the kisses of the parents. In addition, milk residues in the mouth, which are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, can also cause inflammation.

You can save your baby not only by responsible attitude to the cleanliness of nipples and toys, but also with the help of oral hygiene.

Video: How to teach a child to brush their teeth and when do you need a paste? — Doctor Komarovsky

Experts advise to carry out oral hygiene after 2-3 months of life - 2-3 times a day.

How to implement it correctly?

After each feeding, we carry out hygiene procedures (gently and delicately) for the tongue, gums and the inner surface of the cheeks.
We use ordinary boiled water and gauze.
We wrap sterile gauze, slightly moistened in warm boiled water, on the finger and gently wipe the above-mentioned areas of the oral cavity.
When the baby grows up (after the 1st month of life) it will be possible to use instead boiled water decoctions / infusions of herbs that protect against inflammation and soothe the gums.

What is commonly used to clean the mouth and tongue of an infant?

Sterile gauze (bandage) and boiled water.
Silicone finger brush (after 3-4 months).
Gauze and soda solution (an excellent tool for the prevention of dental diseases). For 200 ml of boiled water - 1 tsp of soda. With thrush, it is recommended to treat the oral cavity with a swab dipped in this solution for 5-10 days several times a day.
Chlorophyllipt solution.
Vitamin B12.
Dental wipes. They are used after the 2nd month of life. These wipes usually contain xylitol, a component with antiseptic properties, as well as herbal extracts.

Decoctions and infusions of herbs can be used to moisten a gauze swab when cleaning the mouth from the 2nd month of a baby's life:

Sage: anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties. Kills harmful bacteria and soothes gums.
Chamomile: anti-inflammatory properties. Well tolerated by babies.
St. John's wort: favorably affects the condition of the gums, contains useful vitamins and mineral salts.
Calendula: another powerful natural antiseptic.

Brushing milk teeth - how to brush your child's teeth correctly: instructions

There are 3 steps to teaching children how to properly brush their teeth:

Up to 1 year: symbolic procedures aimed at instilling the right habit.
From 1 year to 3 years : Practicing the correct movements when brushing your teeth.
From 3 years old: developing self-cleaning skills.

Instructions for brushing teeth for a child - how to brush milk teeth correctly?

First of all, we are talking, of course, about the traditional (standard) method of brushing your teeth:

We hold the toothbrush at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the surface of the teeth, without closing the jaws.
From left to right, “sweep” the outer surface of the top row with a brush. It is important to carry out these movements from above (from the gum) and down (toward the edge of the tooth).
Repeat the procedure for the back side of the upper row of teeth.
Next, repeat both "exercises" for the bottom row.
Well, now with the movements "back and forth" we clean the chewing surface of the upper and lower rows.
The number of movements for each side is 10-15.
We finish the cleaning procedure with a gum massage. Namely, we close the jaws and with gentle circular movements massage the outer surface of the teeth along with the gums.
It remains only to clean the tongue with the back of the brush head (as a rule, each brush has a special embossed surface for such purposes).

Video: How to brush your child's teeth?

Do not forget about the important rules for brushing your teeth (especially since they do not differ much from the rules for adults):

We brush our teeth twice a day - without breaks for weekends and holidays.
The time of one procedure is 2-3 minutes.
Babies brush their teeth only under the supervision of their parents.
The length of the strip of squeezed paste for crumbs up to 5 years old is 0.5 cm (approx. - about a pea).
After brushing, rinse your teeth with warm water.
Given the sensitivity of children's teeth, you should not brush them too actively and aggressively, with pressure.
If the baby brushes his teeth himself, then the mother brushes his teeth again after the procedure (double cleaning).

At the age of 5-7 years, the formation of permanent teeth and the gradual resorption of the roots from milk teeth begin.

It is important to note that milk teeth will fall out in the same order in which they erupted. You can speed up this process with the help of apples and carrots - we gnaw fruits, we increase the load on the teeth.

Of course, the process may take longer. And finally, the change of teeth will end only by the age of 16 (wisdom teeth are an exception, they will “grow back” only by the age of 20-25). During this period of changing teeth, choose brushes with soft bristles.

How to teach a small child to brush his teeth - all parental secrets and rules

Children are always difficult to accustom to order and hygiene procedures. A rare child himself enthusiastically runs to brush his teeth. Unless there's a tooth fairy in the bathroom next to the cup of brushes.

Video: Tips for parents on how to teach a child to brush their teeth

Therefore, we read the instructions - and remember the important secrets of experienced parents on how to teach kids to brush their teeth

Personal example. There is nothing better in matters of education than the example of mom and dad. You can brush your teeth with the whole family - it's fun and healthy.
No aggression, screaming and other "educational" aggressive methods. Children need to be encouraged to brush their teeth. Turning a procedure into hard labor is not pedagogical. But what to captivate and how - it already depends on the parental ingenuity (but you can also use our recommendations). In addition, do not forget to praise your child and encourage him for his zeal for the procedure.
Sequencing. Once you've started teaching your child to brush their teeth, don't stop. No rewards in the form of “okay, you don’t have to clean today”! Hygiene procedures should be mandatory, no matter what.
We buy a toothbrush for a child with him. Give him a choice of those brush options that you trust - let the child decide on his own design. The more he likes the brush, the more interesting it will be for him to use it. Remember that giving a child the right to choose is half the battle for parents! But the choice should not be “to clean or not to clean”, but “which brush to choose is up to you, son.”
Brush toy. Perfect option. Manufacturers do not get tired of competing in the originality of children's toothbrushes. With what only "chips" modern tools for brushing teeth are not released today - and with bright images of your favorite cartoon characters, and with toy pens, and with flashlights, and suction cups, and so on. Show your child everything and take the ones that catch his eye. It is better to take 2-3 brushes at once: the choice always encourages action.
Toothpaste. Naturally safe and of high quality, but above all - delicious. For example, banana. Or flavored with chewing gum. Take 2 at once - let the child have a choice here too.
Cartoons, programs and films about tooth fairies and teeth very stimulate the imagination and spur on brushing your teeth and forming the right habit.
Let's not forget the toys! If your child has a favorite toy, take it to the bathroom with you. In the end, if you brush your teeth, then everyone at once. A child who takes on the role of a teacher (and the doll will definitely have to be taught how to brush his teeth) immediately becomes more independent and responsible. Usually, children's favorite toys are plush, so buy a toothy but attractive toy in advance for such purposes so that you can safely wash, clean and carry out other manipulations.
Think of a tooth fairy (like Santa Claus). It takes a long time to wait for the change of milk teeth, so let it arrive today (for example, once a week) and please the baby with surprises (under the pillow, of course).
If the child has sisters or brothers, feel free to use the “competition” option. They always spur kids to heroic deeds. For example, "who better to brush your teeth." Or who can stand 3 minutes of brushing their teeth. Well, etc.
Buy a set (toy) for a beginner dentist. Let the child practice on their toy animals by playing "hospital". Tie up his “bad teeth” toys with a bandage - let them sit in line with the young luminary of medicine.
Hourglass. Choose the most original and beautiful, on the suction cup - for the bath. The optimal amount of sand is for 2-3 minutes of brushing your teeth. Put this clock on the sink so that the baby knows exactly when to finish the procedure.
We make a glass for a brush and paste from Lego. Why not? Brushing your teeth will be much more fun if the brush is in a bright glass, which the child independently assembled from the designer.
We fix the success of the child on a special board of "achievements" . Bright stickers from mom for brushing teeth will be a good incentive for the baby.

And be sure to visit the dentist! As soon as the little one turns 2-3 years old, start such a good habit. Then the baby and the doctors will not be afraid, and the teeth will be monitored more carefully.

Because when your mother asks, you can be petty, but your uncle, a dentist, is already an authoritative person, you can listen to him.

Not all parents know how to properly brush their children's teeth, but the condition of erupted permanent teeth depends on the quality of care for milk teeth. To protect the child from problems with molars, incisors and canines, it is necessary to accustom him to brushing and rinsing his mouth after the eruption of the very first tooth.

Features of the structure of milk teeth

Milk teeth are formed in the sixth week of fetal development. Normally there are 20 of them:

8 molars;
8 incisors;
4 fangs.

Temporary teeth consist of the same tissues as permanent ones:

dentin (in temporary teeth it is softer and less mineralized);
enamels;
pulp.

However, milk incisors, canines and molars have features:

low crowns;
large distance between the crowns;
long thin roots that dissolve before the loss of a temporary tooth and the eruption of a permanent one;
thin enamel - only 1 mm;
wide channels.

In terms of structure, milk teeth are only slightly different from permanent teeth, so they are no less in need of proper care. You can start brushing your child's teeth after cutting through the very first incisor.. Early hygiene training will be an excellent prevention against many dental diseases that can affect the milk incisors, and then the rudiments of permanent ones formed under them.

If you do not take care of the baby's teeth or take care of them incorrectly, already in the first three years of life, the baby will have to visit pediatric dentists. Or it can endure the drilling of decayed teeth with boron, which is painful and unpleasant for a small child, even with high-quality anesthesia.

How to properly clean your baby's mouth

Immediately after discharge from the hospital, it is necessary to start wiping the gums of a newborn child with a thick gauze swab dipped in water. You can also wet the swab in:

chamomile infusion, if the baby does not have constipation;
bactericidal infusion of sage;
decoction of St. John's wort, as this plant strengthens the gums;
anti-inflammatory decoction of calendula.

It is not recommended to use decoctions and infusions of herbs for the treatment of the oral cavity of the baby more often 2-3 times a week, since their abuse can lead to allergic reactions.

Compliance with hygiene, which involves the treatment of the oral mucosa with a gauze swab, is also necessary for those newborns who are on breastfeeding, and those children who eat artificial mixtures. Breast milk does not cleanse the mouth, but pollutes it. If you do not sanitize the baby's mouth after feeding, then pathogenic bacteria will begin to multiply in it, which is fraught with infection of the tooth enamel.

At what age should children start brushing their teeth?

You need to start brushing your baby's teeth from the moment they begin to erupt. At first, it is better to perform manipulations without paste, carefully treating not only the first tooth, but also the gum itself. You can use a special soft baby brush or a silicone pad that fits on the parent's finger. The last device will perform the function of not only a brush, but also a gum massager, which will alleviate the pain of teething.

Care should be taken during the cleaning process, since the gum near the cutting tooth is inflamed and sore, so babies may not respond well to the hygiene procedure. But you can’t refuse it: during eruption, local immunity worsens, therefore, the risk of infection of the enamel increases.

For more information about caring for the oral cavity of a newborn, see the video:

How many times a day should children brush their teeth

Both milk and molars should be brushed twice a day.- morning and evening. Otherwise, under the influence of salts, acids and sugars found in food residues, caries will form on milk teeth, which will have to be treated by a dentist using professional tools.

How to brush children's teeth properly

There are several general rules quality teeth cleaning depending on the age of the baby:

A child up to a year old should brush their teeth with the help of a special silicone pad, which is fixed on the index or thumb of the parent.
After a year, you can use a brush with silicone bristles and a special limiter, gradually switching to classic models.
From the age of three, a regular brush with soft bristles is used. It is important that only two dental crowns cover its surface, otherwise the hygienic procedure will not be effective enough.

The baby toothbrush should be changed every 3-4 months. If the service life has not yet expired, but the brush has already become rough around the edges, it should be changed, since pathogenic bacteria can begin to form and multiply between the villi.

How to brush your child's teeth under 1 year old

Six months is the age when parents should start brushing their child's teeth daily. From 6 to 12 months, teeth are cut in children, so during this period it is necessary to sanitize their oral cavity very carefully. The baby cannot yet take part in the hygiene procedure, but it can already express its dissatisfaction with sounds and gestures, so an adult should focus not only on the technique of dental cleaning, but also on the sensations of the baby.

How to brush your first teeth

Key cleaning rules:

There should be about 10-15 movements per tooth. During the procedure, it is necessary to clean not only the dental enamel, but also the inner surface of the cheeks, tongue and gums. You can also brush the teeth of a one-year-old child with the help of special dental or dental wipes, which can be purchased at a pharmacy.

Why you should teach your child to brush their teeth before the age of one

It is necessary to start brushing the baby's milk teeth when the first incisor appears or even before it is completely erupted. Complete oral care will help:

form the correct bite;
it is good to clean the oral cavity from cariogenic bacteria;
prevent various diseases, including caries.

How to brush teeth for children older than a year

A child over 1 year old can purchase the first toothbrush with silicone bristles. It costs more than usual, but such a waste of money is justified: a brush with silicone bristles will not injure the child's teeth and will help to clean the gums and cheeks with high quality. With its help, even the first teeth of a child can be cleaned. However, such brushes quickly become unsuitable for safe use, so they should not be used for a long time.

Caring for a child's toothbrush with silicone bristles

In order for the silicone brush to last longer, you must follow the following rules for its operation:

you can not boil and even just pour boiling water over the brush;
after each use, wash it with soap (children's, tar, household).

You can not put the brush in a case, you should store it in a closed cabinet, in a glass, separately from the brushes of adult family members.

Toothpaste for one year olds and babies

To start brushing children's teeth with toothpaste, it is not necessary to wait until the child is one or three years old. Most toothpastes are indicated for children over 2 years old, however, there are a number of manufacturers whose product line contains good fluoride-free toothpastes suitable for children under one year old. They are completely harmless and can be swallowed. Such funds can be found among the products of brands:

R.O.C.S.
Elmex.
Splat.
Lacalut.

Each paste indicates at what age it is allowed for use - you need to brush your child's teeth only with a product that is not contraindicated for him and is suitable for the comprehensive care of children's teeth.

Starting to brush the teeth of a child under one year old with the use of paste, it is necessary to monitor his reaction. Some babies may develop an allergy, so at the first symptoms of a rash or an incomprehensible cough, you should stop using the paste and show the baby to a doctor.

tooth brushing technique with toothpaste

You can start brushing your teeth using toothpaste when the child has the first incisor, the deadline is one and a half years. You should not wait until he develops tooth decay due to lack of proper care.

Toothpaste procedure:

a certain amount of paste is applied to a pre-moistened brush;
the brush is brought to the crowns at a right angle;
it is necessary to clean the tooth surface with sweeping movements: from the roots to the tops;
the inner dental surface is cleaned with short movements, the brush is placed at an angle of 45 degrees;
the cutting and chewing surfaces of the crowns are processed at the very end;
after the end of the procedure, rinse your mouth with water;
the approximate duration of each brushing is 2-3 minutes.

2-3 years old is the age when you need to start teaching your child to brush their own teeth.

Rinsers for the little ones

Manufacturers of mouthwashes do not recommend the use of such products for children under the age of six, as there is a high risk that the baby will swallow the rinse.

How to teach a child to brush their teeth

Many children under 1 year old, and sometimes older babies, do not want to brush their teeth, expressing their dissatisfaction in every possible way. In this case, it is necessary to draw their attention to the hygiene procedure using one of the following methods:

buy a bright brush with your favorite cartoon character and toothpaste with a pleasant fruity taste;
invite the baby to brush his teeth with his toys;
brush your teeth with your child and compete with him in the quality and speed of brushing.

Each parent independently decides at what age to start brushing their child's teeth and whether to use toothpaste, but delay can adversely affect the health of the crumbs. Parents should not only brush their children's teeth, but also teach them how to properly care for their oral cavity on their own.

In more detail about children's teeth, caring for them and teaching a child to brush, Dr. Komarovsky tells in the video: