Looking After Our Teeth
Start brushing your baby's teeth as soon as the first milk tooth breaks through (usually at around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later).
It's important to use a fluoride toothpaste, as this helps prevent and control tooth decay.
- Use fluoride toothpaste containing levels of fluoride between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm to give your children's teeth the best protection.
- Brush teeth twice daily for about 2 minutes.
- Brush last thing at night before bed and on 1 other occasion.
- For children aged 0-3 use only a smear of toothpaste on their brush.
- For children aged 3-6 use a peasize amount of toothpaste on their brush.
- Make sure children don't eat or lick toothpaste from the tube.
- Babies and children should visit the dentist twice a year.
YouTube Video by 'Brush DJ'
Useful resources:
0-6 years Change4Life Toothbrushing Chart
6+ years Change4Life Toothbrushing Chart
NHS healthier families - Sugar calculator
Your teeth are important for eating, speaking and smiling! Here’s a quick guide as to how you should look after them:
- Make sure to clean your teeth at least twice a day morning and one other time. Most people choose to do this before bedtime
- Use a peasize amount of toothpaste
- Make sure you brush properly for about two minutes and dont forget to brush your back teeth
- After brushing… spit don’t rinse!
- You should visit your Dentist every 6 months and they will check the health of your teeth
Try not to:
- eat too many sugary foods as too much sugar is bad for your teeth
- drink sugary fizzy drinks as they are bad for your teeth, water is a better choice
- eat sweets, if you do, try to have them at meal times
- eat sticky sweets that can stick to your teeth for a long time
YouTube video by 'British Society of Paediatric Dentistry'
YouTube video by 'British Society of Paediatric Dentistry'
YouTube video by: 'Brush DJ'
Useful resources:
0-6 years Change4Life Toothbrushing Chart
6+ years Change4Life Toothbrushing Chart
NHS healthier families - Sugar calculator
Good oral health isn’t just about how well you clean your teeth.
An unhealthy mouth can be caused by:
- Smoking which can turn your teeth yellow, give you bad breath and contribute to gum disease
- Mouth piercings which can lead to infection
- Braces can trap plaque so make sure you have a special brush to make sure you can keep them clean.
Your set of teeth need to last a lifetime so why not try to:
- Reduce the risk of tooth decay by cutting down on sugary food and drinks. Try and drink milk or water when you can. Sugar causes acid attacks on your teeth and regular acid attacks can lead to tooth decay.
- Brush twice a day with a toothpaste that contains at least 1350ppm of fluoride (this will be written on the tube)
- Remember to spit not rinse once you’ve cleaned your teeth
- Brush right up to the gums and your tongue too for fresher breath
- Visit your dentist regularly.
- Brushing your tongue will help combat bad breath!
YouTube Video by 'NHS England'
YouTube Video 'Brush DJ'
Sometimes our dentist may refer us to an Orthodontist about having braces to straighten our teeth, this can sometimes seem a little daunting however 1000's of children and young people have braces. For more information, see NHS - Braces and Orthodontics.
Useful Links:
NHS healthier families - Sugar calculator