Tips for Terrific Teeth: A Guide for Parents

Start Cleaning Teeth Daily

  • Start cleaning your baby’s gums at birth with a soft infant toothbrush and water or with a clean, damp cloth.
  • Start using toothpaste with fluoride when your child is 2 years old.
  • Take your child to a dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age.
  • Use toothpaste with fluoride before the age of 2 if your child’s doctor or dentist recommends it.

Prevent Tooth Decay

  • Encourage your child to drink from a cup around his or her 1st birthday.
  • Children should not fall asleep with a bottle.
  • Drinking juice from a bottle should be avoided—it should be in a cup or, better yet, give them water!

Use the Right Amount of Fluoride Toothpaste

  • Use only a small amount of toothpaste (about the size of a pea).
  • While fluoride is important for fighting cavities, don’t allow your child to swallow the toothpaste. Too much fluoride may cause white spots on his or her teeth.
  • Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and rinse well after brushing.

Supervise Brushing

  • Brush your child’s teeth twice a day until your child can handle the toothbrush alone.
  • Watch your child’s brushing to make sure the child is doing a good job and using only a small amount of toothpaste.

Talk to Your Child’s Doctor or Dentist

  • Ask the doctor or dentist about your child’s specific fluoride needs. Children older than 6 months may need extra fluoride if your drinking water does not have enough.
  • Children younger than 6 years old should not use a fluoride mouth rinse unless it is recommended by a doctor or dentist.
  • After age 2, most children get the right amount of fluoride to help prevent cavities if they drink water that contains fluoride and brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste twice a day.

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“Tips for Terrific Teeth: A Guide for Parents” written by Courtney J. Schoessow, MPH. February 2002.

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Last updated: 26 July, 2010

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