Strong, healthy teeth are important for your child's nutrition, language development and appearance. A good start to dental care in childhood can help children keep their teeth well into old age. Proper brushing protects your child's teeth from cavities, cosmetic damage and disease. Parents begin a child's dental care before the eruption of the first tooth and gradually transfer responsibility for daily brushings to the growing child. This progression is the time to establish and teach the rules for brushing the teeth.
Early Dental Care
Dental care begins before your infant's teeth appear. Your infant has 20 primary teeth by the time he is born. Care of the gums and barely erupted teeth requires a damp cloth for cleaning bacteria from the gums after feedings. A piece of gauze or a soft toothbrush made for children is appropriate once a few teeth are showing through the gums. Clean your child's teeth and gums to remove the sugar left behind by milk and juices, which can cause serious decay of tooth enamel.
Tools
Proper tooth-brushing tools are gentle, but they do the job. The proper toothbrush for children has soft bristles, such as a toothbrush made for children, and should be replaced every three months. Older toddlers need dental floss and toothpaste. Preschoolers should use fluoride toothpaste, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Parental supervision is required when your toddler uses toothpaste to make sure that she uses only a pea-sized amount on her brush and to make sure that she spits out -- instead of swallowing -- the toothpaste. Ask your doctor or dentist whether your child should use a mouthwash or rinse.
Schedule and Education
A regular tooth-brushing schedule of at least twice a day helps children develop the habit. The habit is reinforced when you consistently remind your child that brushing occurs after eating, especially after eating sweets and snacks. You can help your child accept the importance of brushing if you start to explain as soon as he is old enough to understand. Even very young children can understand how cavities happen and how removing food and bacteria from the teeth protects them from damage.
Technique
Proper technique removes plaque and bacteria. Brushing should include every surface -- front, back, side and top -- of every tooth. Brush the sides of the teeth and the back teeth for a little longer period of time. Brushing should take about two or three minutes. A timer can help your child brush for the appropriate length of time. Place the toothbrush bristles on the tooth surface at an angle of 45 degrees to the gums, and move the toothbrush in short, gentle back-and-forth strokes. Hold the toothbrush vertically to brush the surface of the inside of the front teeth. Your older child can brush his tongue, which removes more bacteria, to finish up his tooth-brushing routine.
Flossing
Flossing is an important part of tooth brushing that is required once your child has at least two touching teeth. Flossing keeps the gums healthy by cleaning parts of the teeth that are not reached with a toothbrush. Toddlers around the age of 2 to 3 years old should floss twice a day, according to the Mayo Clinic. You or your child should floss his teeth by slipping the dental floss between the teeth down to the gum line and moving it gently up and down to remove hidden food and plaque.
