Almost half of kindergarten-age children have some tooth decay, according to Aetna InteliHealth. Properly cleaning a child's teeth helps prevent cavities, plaque buildup and gingivitis. It also teaches children good oral care habits for life. While all children should see a dentist twice a year, starting around their first birthday, as the Nemours Foundation recommends, most of a baby's and toddler's oral hygiene care must come from parents. Learning the right techniques for cleaning children's teeth is essential.
Teeth Cleaning for Infants
Although an infant's teeth aren't visible, they're there, concealed in the gums. Babies have 20 teeth at birth, according to Nemours, and they do need to be cared for. Don't put infants to sleep with a bottle. Sugar from milk or juice stays on their gums for the duration of their sleep. Run a damp washcloth over an infant's gums after feedings, and do the same for teeth when they begin to show. Cloth teeth-cleaning implements that slide over a finger are available as well.
Flossing Children's Teeth
It's appropriate to begin flossing a child's teeth once they are touching one another. Floss a child's teeth once a day. Parents typically need to floss their children's teeth for them until they are about 9 years old, notes Aetna InteliHealth. Wrap the ends of an 18-inch piece of floss around your middle fingers. With both hands, pinch off a small section of the floss and ease it up to the child's gumline with a sawing motion. Curve it around the front and back of a tooth and slide the floss up and down, being careful not to dig into the gums. Repeat this process on all teeth.
Brushing Children's Teeth
Children's teeth should be brushed once in the morning and once at night before bed. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Don't use toothpaste with fluoride on children under two years old, as they tend to swallow most of it. Once your child begins spitting reliably, switch to a fluoride toothpaste. However, young children do still need fluoride. Most get it from tap water, but be sure to discuss the necessity of fluoride treatments or supplements with the child's dentist.
Nemours advises using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste when brushing a toddler's teeth. Angle the toothbrush about 45 degrees from the surface of the teeth, and brush in a circular or back-and-forth motion. Be sure to get the front, back, and chewing surface of every tooth, the gums above and behind the teeth and back behind the molars. Brush the tongue, too. Apply pressure, but don't brush too vigorously or a child's gums can become inflamed. A proper brushing takes two to three minutes, notes the Nemours Foundation. A child's toothbrush should be replaced every three months, or sooner if the bristles become frayed.
