Care for Children's Teeth

Cleaning children’s teeth is certainly a topic in every household. The available information and opinions vary widely, and even dentists themselves are not united in what they recommend. Fortunately, there are plenty of enlightened dentists among us who know that what is taught at school cannot always be applied in practice, so they draw on their own experience and pass the information on to mothers. In this article you will learn when and with what to clean teeth, how often, tricks for when the child does not cooperate, what it is with sweets, and also a few myths at the end. 

When to start brushing teeth

The ideal is to start brushing before they even appear, so that the baby gets used to the toothbrush and to having something put into their mouth. The first teeth most often come in around the 6th month, some earlier and some later. However, when they start to grow, it hurts, children drool, put everything into their mouths including their fingers, often have a higher temperature or diarrhea, and are generally uncomfortable, so they often do not even want to open their mouths. It is therefore advisable to start before the teeth erupt, so that the toothbrush is not a shock for the child later. If the baby’s teeth are already erupting and you have not started brushing yet, then now is the time. 

What to use to brush teeth

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is not necessary for brushing teeth even for adults, because it does not clean on its own; that is done by the toothbrush, which manually removes dental plaque from the teeth. For children, however, children’s toothpaste can help with cooperation. So only a very small amount of toothpaste is needed, because the child will probably swallow it anyway, or you can also try toothpaste tablets. 

Toothbrush

The most suitable toothbrush is one that is very soft, has dense bristles, and a small head. When brushing, do not press on the toothbrush and clean the teeth as close to the gums as possible, because that is where dental plaque accumulates, which is responsible for cavities. Great children’s toothbrushes are those made of bamboo, because besides the fact that the child is not chewing on plastic, they are also 100% biodegradable, so they are kind to nature.  

Interdental brush

As soon as the teeth start touching, which usually happens when the molars erupt, it is necessary to start using an interdental brush as well. The other teeth usually have spaces between them, so a regular toothbrush is enough for those. For molars, do not forget to clean the chewing surfaces too, which are on the top of the tooth, so do not clean the tooth only from the side. Between the ages of 5 and 6, the first permanent molar grows in, so be careful with cleaning, because this tooth will not be replaced, and it would be a shame to drill into it too soon.

How often to brush teeth

Many of us are used to brushing our teeth twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. But if we brush properly, then once a day is enough. Dental plaque forms over 24–48 hours, so once a day is enough to remove it with a toothbrush. It is therefore better to brush thoroughly once a day than to brush twice a day but poorly.

First visit to the dentist

Most dentists will schedule your first checkup only after the first year. This is also written in the dental record, and pediatricians also recommend this time. Unfortunately, for many children this may already be too late. The ideal time for the first visit is with the first tooth. The main reason is to help the child get used to the dental office environment and to the dentist. So the child is not afraid to open their mouth. This visit is therefore more of a getting-acquainted visit for the child. If you have a dentist in your area who shares this view, do not hesitate to go to them.

Sweet food and drinks

We strongly recommend not giving children any sweets or sweet drinks. They do not need them to live, just like we adults do not. Unfortunately, children also do not think through the consequences of long-term consumption of sweets (decayed teeth, obesity), and that is why it is up to us as parents to guide them in this. Sweets also speed up the buildup of dental plaque, and if the teeth are not cleaned really well, they will decay very quickly. We know this is very difficult, but if you explain it to the child, you will easily survive birthday parties, visits to amusement parks, etc. You can offer sweet fruit and vegetables; they also contain plenty of sugars, but these are released gradually and are much better for the body. 

Tricks for uncooperative children

Many parents literally struggle with their children because they do not cooperate at all when brushing or simply do not want to open their mouths. In various online discussions, mothers write that they simply pin the child down and brush anyway, even though the child is crying. There are other ways too; we have put together a few tips for you. 

Outside the bathroom

Try brushing the teeth outside the bathroom; you will see that, for example, in the living room during a fairy tale, you may brush for longer because attention will be drawn to the television. Also, you do not need to brush with toothpaste, so you can brush in any room. 

Right time

Think about the time when you go to brush teeth, whether it might already be during the evening rush, when you want to quickly brush, bathe, and put the child to sleep. The child senses your discomfort and does not cooperate. Try starting a little earlier so that it is calmer.

Make it fun

Make brushing teeth fun. Show children that it is not just an annoying chore that has to be done so the teeth do not decay. You can brush each other’s teeth. You brush the child’s, the child brushes yours, or mom and dad, dad and the child, etc. Since children learn by imitation, it may be confusing for them that you want to brush their teeth, but you brush your own. So when you show that you and dad brush each other’s teeth, it will be a great example for the child too. You can sing songs or rhymes while doing it. Use your imagination. 

More than one toothbrush

Give the child a toothbrush they like and let them brush their teeth themselves. Then finish the brushing with a good-quality toothbrush. Dentists prefer classic toothbrushes because, in their opinion, they are sufficient. However, if you tempt the child with a sonic toothbrush that even lights up, then feel free to get one. Anything that interests the child and helps them cooperate better counts.

Headlamp and brushing while lying down

To see into the child’s mouth as well as possible, brush while lying down so that the child’s head is in your lap, and use a headlamp for brushing. For children, it will be a fun change.

General calm and explanation

If you have already been struggling with the child for some time, it may be difficult at first to establish a calm cooperation during brushing. In this case, you need to hold the child a little more at the start and speak to them calmly and explain that you do not like it this way either, but that the teeth need to be cleaned, otherwise cavities will form and the teeth will hurt a lot. It will probably take a few days before the child starts cooperating without resisting. The important thing is that they feel calm and safe from you, so they know it is important and that you do not want to hurt them (be careful not to press the toothbrush too hard while brushing). 

Pictures of decayed teeth and a TV series

For older children who understand more, it may help to show pictures of decayed teeth that are ugly and black. You can also watch the series Once Upon a Time... Life together, specifically the episode Mouths and Teeth, where it is beautifully explained how things work in the mouth and why it is good to brush your teeth properly and regularly.

Allowance

If you already have an older child who gets pocket money, you can show them the price list for dental treatments and tell them that from now on they will pay for tooth repairs out of their own allowance. This is guaranteed to work, because dental work is not cheap at all, and what child would want to part with their pocket money.

Disclosing tablets

For older children who brush their teeth themselves but are not very good at it, we can try disclosing tablets. The children will see where they have shortcomings, and you will convince them that they need to brush better. You can try the tablets yourself and with your partner too, and you will see how the whole family is doing with brushing. 

Myths about brushing teeth

Do not lick the spoon or pacifier

Since we often speak to the child from close range and also kiss them, we have already exchanged our bacteria from the mouth several times. So there is no need to worry that we would transmit cavities to the child, because cavities form on the basis of dental plaque, and we remove that every day. When brushing together, there is also no problem with brushing each other’s teeth with our own toothbrushes. It would not even work very well otherwise, because the child will always want your toothbrush and will put it in their mouth before you even take a breath. 

Change toothbrushes often

It is often said that we should replace our toothbrush every three months and after every illness. However, this is just a marketing trick by companies selling toothbrushes. The bacteria that remain on the toothbrush need moisture to survive, and therefore they will not survive until the next brushing. It is enough to replace the toothbrush when we stop liking it or when the bristles splay out because of too much pressure. We replace the interdental brush once a week.

Brush teeth after every night nursing

This is certainly a bogeyman for all breastfeeding mothers. Many pediatricians in counseling sessions advise brushing teeth after every night nursing. Or at least wiping the teeth with a tissue. Well, but what if you breastfeed 10 times a night. You would soon become a walking zombie. As described above, the cause of tooth decay is unremoved dental plaque, and if you brush your teeth properly once a day, nighttime breastfeeding is not a problem at all. Unfortunately, this myth is still taught at universities and then passed on among mothers. 

Children’s teeth do not matter

Some people hold the view that children’s teeth are not important because they will fall out anyway and be replaced by permanent teeth. But that is not true. Baby teeth also need to be cared for, because drilling baby teeth is often a traumatic experience for children and their parents. It is also often difficult to find a dentist who is good with children, so a visit to them can be stressful for absolutely everyone. 

Keep your head up, tomorrow is a new day

If you have read this far, then your head may be literally spinning from all the information. Yes, it is a lot of information, and it is good to start brushing children’s teeth early. But nothing is ever lost; every day you can make a change for the better. Dental caries develops over months and years, but that does not mean that if the first teeth are not cleaned for a long time, nothing will happen. Gum inflammation can appear, which is a matter of days rather than months and will be very unpleasant for children. 

So try to think about how brushing teeth works in your home, and perhaps already tomorrow you can make a change for the better. We keep our fingers crossed that brushing will be more of a fun activity for you than an annoying chore.