Top Tips for Childrens Tooth Care
- Brush your child's teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1000ppm fluoride. Brushing should be supervised by a parent or carer.
- 0-3 years apply a smear of a fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush. 3 years and above, us a pea sized amount of toothpaste.
- The best times to brush teeth are last thing at night and in the morning.
- Spit out after brushing. Do not rinse with water
- Plain milk and plain water are the safest drinks for teeth.
- Limit the amount of sugary foods offered. Choose healthier snacks for example fresh fruit and vegetable sticks.
- Choose sugar free medicines where possible.
Finding a Dentist
Children should be seen by a dentist as soon as their first baby tooth appears and then attend as often as the dentist recommends. Dental treatment is free of charge on the NHS if you are registered with an NHS dentist up until the age of 18. Visit the NHS website to find a dentist.
Websites
To find more information and advice on oral health:
- NHS: The NHS have advice on looking after your baby's teeth. Looking after your baby's teeth
Apps
These free apps can help you support good oral health at home.
- Brush DJ: A free, multi-award winning App with a 2-minute timer to your child's favourite music to make brushing fun and engaging!
- Change 4 Life: This Change for Life App brings food labels to life and helps you make healthier choices.
Healthy Teeth, Happy Smiles Leaflets
These age specific leaflets provide easy to read information for parents and carers about looking after teeth.
I Love My New Baby Tooth! (PDF, 2.3 Mb)
6 Months - 3 Years (Print friendly) (PDF, 1.6 Mb)
Stopping the Bottle (Print friendly) (PDF, 1.1 Mb)
I Love Brushing My Teeth! (PDF, 3.5 Mb)
3 - 6 Years (Print friendly) (PDF, 1.4 Mb)
Water Is Cool! (PDF, 2 Mb)
The Magic of Fluoride Varnish (Print friendly) (PDF, 885 Kb)
Tooth Brushing Diary (PDF, 1.1 Mb)
Videos
These videos are short, fun and can help to support good oral health at home.
Leicestershire County Council, Oral Health Team: This 90-second video follows a friendly animated tooth character, who takes us through the three main ways to look after our teeth.
CBBC Dr Ranj and Supertooth: Well known TV doctor and CBBC children's presenter Dr Ranj, has made age related videos to help children brush their teeth correctly.
Hey Duggee, The Tooth Brushing Song: Animated educational pre-school video aimed at 2-5 year olds, featuring CBeebies Hey Duggee and friends.
HENRY: A charity that provides support for the entire family to make positive lifestyle changes which starts with the early years. They have created a video which provides information and interviews with parents sharing their experiences on all aspects of oral health care.
