Brush the teeth of a 2 year old child. Learn how to teach your child to brush their teeth

Why is it so important to brush your teeth?

Many people know that brushing your teeth twice a day is important for oral health. However, few people know why this is important.

Fresh breath

It is clear that the accumulation of food debris and the subsequent development of bacteria in the mouth will lead to bad breath.

Preventing bacteria with regular brushing is the key to maintaining fresh breath and preventing halitosis

Other steps you can take to prevent food from getting into your brush include drinking water and chewing sugar-free gum.

Preventing gum disease

Eating harmful foods, not visiting the dentist on time, and sometimes just the characteristics of the body can cause plaque if you don’t brush your teeth.

Everyone develops plaque to some degree on their teeth, and it's often caused by leftover food. This food deposit leads to bacteria and hardening. It is a white or yellowish substance between the teeth and at the gum line.

Bacteria in plaque irritate the gums and cause them to become inflamed and bleed when brushing. The first stage of gum disease is called gingivitis.

Brushing your teeth regularly will help prevent gum disease by preventing plaque from forming.

Removing stains on teeth

Investing in a quality toothpaste and using it twice a day will help prevent plaque buildup and unwanted breath.

If you have stains on your teeth, a low abrasive toothpaste is a great solution. Not only will it help eliminate bad breath and protect teeth and gums from bacteria, but it will also gently remove stains caused by coffee and red wine.

Brushing your teeth may help prevent dementia

Research has shown that patients with gum disease are more likely to suffer from dementia.

A study conducted by Chung Shan Medical University and the National Defense Medical Center, which was published in the scientific journal Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, found that people who had chronic periodontitis for 10 years or more had 70% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than in people without chronic periodontitis.

Gum disease and pregnancy

Not only can gum disease affect fertility, it can also have a negative impact on babies in the womb. Women with periodontitis had an increased likelihood that their babies would be born prematurely and be underweight.

When you are pregnant, everything you ingest will be passed on to the baby, so drinking alcohol and drinking too much caffeine are not recommended for pregnant women.

When you don't brush your teeth, the bacteria in your mouth enters your bloodstream, which is also your baby's bloodstream. It is very important to pay close attention to oral hygiene during pregnancy.

Reduces the likelihood of serious illness

    Bacteria that form in dental plaque , can not only penetrate the bloodstream andinfluence the fetus in the uterus , but also increase the likelihood of the formation of bad cholesterol.

    Gum disease is often associated with atherosclerosis, which is accompanied bycholesterol deposition . When these deposits accumulate, a heart attack or stroke can occur. Therefore, it is very important to prevent the formation of plaque, especially if you are over 50 years old.

How to brush your teeth correctly


The main mistake many people make is that they brush their teeth with linear movements from right to left, and by doing so they simply push plaque into the spaces between the teeth. It is recommended to brush the front teeth using up and down movements with some nuances.

It is also worth noting that many people brush their teeth immediately after eating. However, it is at this time that tooth enamel is most vulnerable. Brushing your teeth is recommended 30 minutes after eating.

Here are a few rules you should remember:

1. The brushing procedure itself should take about 3 minutes.

2. The toothbrush should be held at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the teeth.

3. Brushing should begin with the front teeth, after which you should slowly move towards the back teeth.

4. When brushing your lower teeth, you should move the brush from bottom to top.

5. When brushing the upper teeth, the movements should be from top to bottom.

6. Using circular and simultaneous raking movements, you should clean the chewing surface of your teeth.

7. It is good to clean molars - hard-to-reach molars.

8. After brushing your teeth, spit out the toothpaste or rinse your mouth with a small amount of water. This should be done in such a way as not to wash off all the paste from your teeth. Otherwise, you risk washing away all the fluoride, which means it will not be able to have a beneficial effect on your teeth.

9. After brushing, you should clean your tongue using the bristles of a toothbrush.

10. It is better to use a soft toothbrush to brush your teeth. Its size and shape should be such that you can easily reach any tooth and clean it easily.

* Replace your brush every three months, or more often if it has lost its shape.

To be beneficial, brushing your teeth must be done every day. Most people finish their oral brushing routine too quickly. In a short time, you may remove the remaining food, but the plaque will remain, and this, in turn, can lead to the development of caries, as well as gum disease.


Try to sometimes change the side on which you start brushing your teeth. You can start brushing your teeth on the right side, and another time start the process from the lower jaw. This way you will begin to be more attentive to this process.

Brush your teeth once in the morning and once in the evening.

How to brush your teeth (video)


Of course, brushing your teeth is only part of a complete dental care routine. You should also:

1. Clean the cavities between the teeth, as this is where bacteria accumulate and develop. In some places the brush simply does not reach. Brushing between teeth should be done once a day to help remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gums.

2. Eat healthily by limiting your intake of sweets and snacks.

3. Visit the dentist regularly to prevent and treat oral diseases

How long should you brush your teeth?

In short, that's about 1,896 hours over a lifetime, but research shows that people actually brush their teeth for about half of that time.

The toothpaste you use must contain fluoride to strengthen your teeth against the ravages of tooth decay.

We brush our teeth if they have braces.


If you have braces, then you should brush your teeth even more often than just 2 times a day, and more specifically after each meal.

* A wearer of braces should cut food finely, especially apples and other hard foods.

* Refrain from eating soft candy, popcorn and other snacks and sweets that tend to get stuck in the teeth.

Moreover, in this case it is not easy to clean your teeth from plaque, which means it is advisable for you to purchase:

Special orthodontic brush equipped with V-shaped bristles

Special fluoride toothpaste

Special brushes

Irrigator

Mouthwash

* It wouldn't hurt to get some dental floss.

Here's how to clean:

1. Use a toothbrush to remove plaque from the surface of your teeth. In this case, it is recommended to spend at least 10 seconds on each tooth.

2. Treat your braces with special brushes. The space under the braces should also be treated.

3. The floss will help get rid of food debris between the teeth.

4. Other hard-to-reach places should be cleaned using an irrigator.

5. Finally, you can rinse your mouth with a special mouthwash.

Brush your teeth with the right brush

One common mistake is that people buy either a brush that is too soft or too hard.



In addition, some people buy either a brush that is too large or, conversely, too small, which also affects the quality of teeth cleaning.

How to choose a toothbrush?

The bristles can be either soft or medium-hard, which is what works best for most people.


Here are a few simple rules for choosing a toothbrush:

1. If you have healthy gums, then you can safely use a medium-hard toothbrush.

* Try to use brushes that have a long handle and rubber parts on it so that your hand does not slip and you can adjust the pressure.

* If you have problems with your gums or tooth enamel, it is better to use soft brushes. This also applies to children under 12 years of age, even if they have healthy teeth and gums.

2. According to experts, the length of the toothbrush head can vary between 2 and 3 cm, its height should not exceed 2 cm, and its width should be about 1.5 cm.

* Try to use a multi-tuft brush, that is, a toothbrush consisting of individual tufts and bristles, and preferably with curves at the end of these tufts.

* As mentioned, use one brush for no longer than 3 months, and it’s better to change a soft toothbrush every 2 months

Which brush is better: regular or electric?


In fact, it doesn't matter what kind of brush you use: regular or electric. Both types clean equally well as long as you use a good fluoride toothpaste, use proper brush strokes, and brush twice a day.

However, some people find it much more convenient to use an electric toothbrush to deep clean their teeth.

It's also worth noting that some experts believe that an electric toothbrush can clean between teeth better.

The type of brush you choose is entirely up to you. But it is worth mentioning that an electric brush is more suitable for people with hand and shoulder conditions, such as arthritis.

Children over three years old can already use an electric toothbrush.

Remember, if you brush your teeth correctly, it doesn’t matter what type of brush you use.

What toothpaste should I use to brush my teeth?


Choose fluoride toothpaste. For adults, it is advisable to use a paste that contains 1350–1500 ppm fluoride.

It is worth noting that children can also use this paste, but children under three years old should use very little paste, and children under six years old should not exceed the volume of a pea.

If the child does not suffer from caries, he can purchase children's toothpaste with a low fluoride content (1000 ppm).

In any case, it is worth consulting with a dentist, who can tell you which toothpaste is best for you and your child.

Should I use mouthwash?

Using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay. However, you shouldn't use mouthwash - even fluoride - immediately after brushing your teeth, otherwise it will wash away the concentrated fluoride from the toothpaste left on your teeth. Choose a different time to use mouthwash, such as after lunch. It is advised not to eat or drink for 30 minutes after using mouthwash.

How long to brush your teeth

You shouldn't brush your teeth too often. If you do this, there is a risk of damage to tooth enamel and gums.

Experts say that with frequent brushing of teeth, the bristles of the brush wear out faster, its edges become uneven, which means the brushing process will be similar to cleaning with a knife.

In addition, you should not press too hard on the toothbrush.

Brush your teeth after eating


Many people have developed the habit of snacking, quickly brushing their teeth afterward, and continuing with their business.

However, this approach harms the teeth and does not protect them in any way.

Experts advise brushing your teeth 30-60 minutes after eating.

The fact is that our teeth are protected from bacteria or acid, and by brushing our teeth immediately after eating, we destroy this protection. This can mean that it only takes one bacteria to get inside a tooth to cause more damage than a million bacteria.

When is the best time to brush your teeth: before or after breakfast?


So far, there hasn't been enough research around the world to indicate the best time to brush your teeth.

* But there are also those who claim that you need to brush your teeth before breakfast. This is necessary in order to clean the tongue, as well as tooth enamel, from bacterial plaque. If you do not brush your teeth before breakfast, you will swallow food along with plaque, which means that there is a risk of harming the gastrointestinal tract.

* You can take the golden mean - brush your teeth before breakfast, and after it simply rinse your mouth with water or saline solution.

The main thing is to brush your teeth in the morning and evening before going to bed so that food stuck after eating does not harm your teeth.

How to properly brush children's teeth


There is an opinion among parents that children’s baby teeth should not be taken care of, because sooner or later they will fall out and new ones will grow in their place.

This is a misconception, and a child’s teeth need to be brushed, even baby teeth.

Baby teeth also have enamel, but it is quite weak, and caries can affect it very quickly. It is worth noting that caries in children is also associated with nutrition. Even if your baby is not yet breastfed, breast milk and formula contain sugar.

Rchild brushes his teeth

If children's teeth have been affected by caries, there is a high risk of developing an infection that can affect not only the teeth, but also other parts of the body. Such infections can cause tonsillitis and even pyelonephritis.

There are practically no children who would be happy to see a dentist. And if caries starts, toothache will begin, and the child will not be able to chew food normally.

The worst-case scenario is tooth extraction, but according to experts, removing a baby tooth prematurely can harm the process of bite formation. In addition, removal of a baby tooth can cause speech impediment, as well as crooked permanent teeth.

All these arguments indicate that baby teeth need to be well looked after.

Whenworth startingbrush your teeth


It is difficult to name the exact age at which you should start brushing and caring for your teeth. The reason is simple – you should start caring for your teeth as soon as they appear, and each person’s teeth grow differently.

As a rule, a person’s very first tooth appears at the age of six months, but it often happens that for some this period comes earlier, and for others even within a year.

When the first tooth erupts, the local immunity of the oral cavity begins to decrease, which means the risk of developing an infection increases if you do not start brushing the tooth carefully. In addition, a small wound will form around the emerging tooth, and the child will experience extremely unpleasant sensations during brushing.

Before teeth appear

1. According to some experts, it is worth starting to take care of your oral cavity before your teeth have even erupted. The fact is that even when there are no teeth, there are accumulations of microorganisms on the mucous membrane that can cause unpleasant diseases, including stomatitis and gingivitis.

2. If you start taking care of your oral cavity at an early age, this will instill in your child the habit of hygiene, which means the toothbrush will not turn into an enemy.

3. Some dentists advise taking care of your gums at 3-4 months, that is, approximately 2-3 months before the first tooth erupts.

Cleaning teeth with dental floss


Dental floss was created to help clean spaces in teeth that a toothbrush simply cannot reach. It is believed that by cleaning the spaces between the teeth, we prevent the formation of tartar and also significantly strengthen our gums.

1. For good cleaning, you need to take at least 20 cm of thread, and preferably longer (30-40 cm).

2. Wrap the edges of the thread around your index or middle fingers.

3. Grasp the dental floss using the thumb and index finger of each hand. You should end up with about 3-5cm of loose thread.

4. You need to tighten the floss and start cleaning between your teeth.

5. Move the floss in a gentle up and down motion, touching your teeth.

*Treat each tooth in this manner from all sides.

* It is not recommended to “saw” with dental floss, as there is a risk of injury to the gums.

*You should first floss your teeth and only then use a brush.


In the US, the Department of Health has decided to no longer recommend flossing.

The fact is that scientists have not been able to study how effective it is to use dental floss.

In an attempt to find out how this happened, journalists studied many works written over the past 10 years.

Few scientific studies were found that, at best, compared the effect obtained from using toothpaste with the effect obtained from using toothpaste and floss.

Scientists, as it turned out, found rather weak evidence in favor of flossing, and the results themselves were based on rather controversial research methodology.

* For example, the duration of one of the experiments was only two weeks, although caries simply cannot develop in such a short period of time under any circumstances.

* In another experiment, only 25 subjects were given dental floss to brush their teeth, and then only once, which, of course, was not enough to measure any changes.

*It's also worth noting that some of these studies were funded by dental floss manufacturers

Is it possiblebrush your teeth with soda



Oral cavity

Baking soda is an antiseptic that can disinfect the mouth when needed. Soda solution is usually used as an antiseptic and antifungal agent.

The fact is that a solution of soda creates an alkaline environment in the oral cavity, which is extremely unfavorable for bacteria.

Rinsing your mouth with baking soda is safe and healthy, as it not only prevents bacteria from developing, but also helps get rid of unpleasant odor.

Teeth

But brushing your teeth with soda cannot be called safe. Yes, soda cleans teeth, but this happens because it has abrasive properties. This means that its small particles simply remove plaque along with the top layer of tooth enamel.

Negative effects of soda

1. It is the abrasive properties of soda that can lead to injury to the gums, which can become bleeding.

2. Often, after using soda to brush your teeth, rashes appear around the mouth, which, in fact, are an allergic reaction.

How to Reduce Damage from Soda

1. You should brush your teeth with soda no more than once every 10 days.

2. When cleaning with a soda solution, use only a soft-bristled brush, a cotton swab, or, as a last resort, your finger.

3. After cleansing, you should not eat hot or cold food for a couple of hours.

* If you use this procedure and feel pain while eating hot or cold food, immediately stop using baking soda to brush your teeth.

* To keep your tooth enamel healthy, use only fluoride-containing toothpastes enriched with minerals.

* You can also use a fluoride rinse to strengthen the enamel.

* If you decide to brush your teeth with a soda solution to whiten your teeth, you should eat foods that contain calcium (nuts, dairy products, garlic, parsley, parmesan)

Mistakes we make when brushing our teeth



1. You use one brush for too long.

2. Too muchfastcleanteeth.

You should brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes and twice a day. Many people don't do this, brushing their teeth for only about 45 seconds. Try setting a timer, maybe it will help you. You can also play your favorite music while brushing your teeth.

3. Brush your teeth too aggressively.

Treat your teeth gently. Pressing too hard on your toothbrush can damage your gums.

4. Brush your teeth immediately after eating.

You may think that you need to clean your teeth of food debris as quickly as possible, but immediately after eating, your teeth are very vulnerable and you can damage their enamel. Wait 60 minutes and then start cleaning. Immediately after eating, you can rinse your mouth with water or chew sugar-free gum.

5. Store your toothbrush incorrectly.

When you're done brushing your teeth, place your toothbrush upright (in a cup or holder) and let it air dry. Do not keep your toothbrush in a closed container, where germs can quickly multiply.

6. Use a brush with stiff bristles.

Soft bristles are safe. You need to be careful when brushing your teeth. Talk to your dentist about which toothbrush is best for you.

7. Brush your teeth incorrectly.

Here is one method of brushing your teeth. Remember to hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Then gently move the brush back and forth in short strokes across the width of your teeth. Next, clean the outer surfaces, inner surfaces, and chewing surfaces of the teeth. Finally, to clean the inside surfaces of your front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make a few up and down strokes.

8. Using a brush that doesn't suit you.

There are many toothbrushes that can help keep your teeth fresh and clean, both regular and electric. Both types work well. Try different types until you find one you're comfortable with. No matter what you choose, remember that it's not just about the brush, but how you use it!

Oral care is the most important component of dental health and caries prevention. It is necessary to teach dental hygiene from early childhood so that the process of morning and evening brushing becomes a habit for the child. Many parents do not know at what point to start brushing their child’s teeth; they allow a situation to occur that already leads to dental problems by the age of 2-3 years. Let's try to figure out how old a child should be to brush his teeth, how to perform oral hygiene for a child, and what brushes are available for children of different ages.

3 reasons why it is important to care for baby teeth

It is a common belief that the first baby teeth in children, even if not cared for, have no effect on the permanent teeth. Therefore, you can brush your first teeth from the age of 3, when the child is able to hold a brush himself. But this approach is completely wrong and even dangerous - a neglected oral cavity can lead to a wide variety of negative consequences.

1. Rapid spread of caries

The main dental problem for young preschool children is caries. The carious process has a destructive effect on the child’s first teeth and, if tooth enamel is not taken care of, can spread to neighboring teeth. On average, every tenth child 1.5-2 years old has one carious cavity.

2. The effect of bad baby teeth on permanent teeth

Some mothers and fathers are of the opinion that you should not pay special attention and effort to baby teeth, because they will fall out anyway. This is a big mistake. Early destruction of the first teeth negatively affects the permanent ones, which will lead to considerable problems with the teeth and the oral cavity in general in the future.

3. Bad teeth are a source of infection

Carious cavities are accumulations of pathogenic bacteria. These bacteria, when in a child's mouth, can cause endless respiratory diseases. The great danger is that they can spread throughout the body and cause various ailments. Treating teeth in children under 5 years of age is mentally and physically difficult, and it is much easier to prevent the problem by carefully caring for baby teeth.

Dentists agree that caring for baby teeth should begin from the very beginning of their appearance. For most babies, teething begins between 6 and 8 months. Only some babies give their parents their first tooth a couple of months earlier.

During complementary feeding, the baby’s first erupted tooth is “attacked” by carbohydrates, which are deposited on the enamel in the form of plaque. It must be removed to avoid the accumulation of soft deposits with bacteria. You should start caring for your new tooth from the moment it completely erupts.

Important! Until the baby tooth has fully emerged from the gums, excessive care can be harmful - the inflamed area of ​​the gums is very vulnerable and touching it will be quite painful for the baby.

Choosing baby teeth care products

By starting to care for your baby’s oral cavity while still in infancy, you can easily teach him hygiene and the understanding that brushing his teeth is necessary. To make the process easy and without discomfort, you need to know which method of removing plaque is optimal at a particular age.

Gauze bandage

The most convenient way for infants to clean their first teeth is with a gauze swab or a bandage wrapped around the mother’s finger. You need to moisten the gauze with water and treat each tooth. Gauze is good because it has a rough structure and easily removes sticky plaque.

Soft silicone brush

A transparent silicone brush that fits on your finger makes it easy to brush the teeth of a one-year-old child. The brush has soft teeth that remove plaque. The silicone brush can be used without baby toothpaste.

Note! Babies at this age love to playfully bite their mother while cleaning. The silicone in the finger brushes is strong and is able to “take the blow”, protecting parents’ fingers from bites.

Children's toothbrush

Starting from 1-1.5 years old, a child will be interested in getting acquainted with a children's brush in the form of a funny little animal. On children’s brushes there is a designation “1+”, for older children – “3+”. They are small in size (with a handle for a child's palm), have soft rubber bristles and a limiter so that the baby does not accidentally choke on the brush. A baby brush should be used together with baby toothpaste.

Electric brush

An electric toothbrush may be considered for children over 4 years of age. It teaches independence and arouses great interest among children. An electric brush has stiffer bristles, cleans enamel well and allows you not to worry about the result.

Pay attention! Earlier use of an electric brush can harm children's enamel, because the speed of movement of the cleaning head is quite intense.

An important procedure: how to properly brush your child’s teeth

You should brush your baby teeth twice a day using an appropriately sized brush with soft bristles. Until the age of 6-8 years, the process of teeth cleaning should be carried out under parental supervision; until this age, the child is not yet able to thoroughly clean his teeth.

The procedure for caring for baby teeth should include cleaning:

  • internal surfaces of chewing teeth;
  • internal surfaces of the front teeth;
  • external surfaces of teeth;
  • light massage of the gums with the back of the brush.

The direction of the brush is actually not that important, whether you brush your baby's teeth up and down or in a circular motion. The main thing is to thoroughly clean each tooth inside and out. After 4-5 procedures, you will already know how to properly brush your child’s teeth.

You can find out exactly how many minutes children need to brush their teeth based on the baby’s age - infants need to start with 0.5 minutes, gradually increasing the time. For a child 1 year and a little older, just over a minute. Children over 3 years old will need about 2-3 minutes for the procedure.

Not at all: what to do if a child is against brushing his teeth

Sometimes parents are faced with a situation where a child does not want to brush his teeth. Most often this occurs at the age of 1-2 years. Children are enthusiastically ready to clean only their front teeth, but when it comes to the back teeth, the child does not allow them to brush their teeth and tries in every possible way to interfere with the process. In such a case, try not to force, but to carry out the procedure in a playful way.

  • A fun game “For company” - pretend to brush your baby’s teeth with your favorite toys, and you will see how, in turn, your baby will also open his mouth to brush his teeth.
  • A family teeth brushing competition will encourage your child to win every day. After successful cleaning, you can give your baby a “prize” in the form of a sticker or other surprise.
  • The game “Let’s find the hidden teeth” in front of the mirror will help. The child will look with interest into the corners of his mouth, and meanwhile the mother will brush the distant teeth.

Caring for your baby’s gums and oral cavity begins even before the first baby teeth appear. By the age of teething, 5-6 months, dental plaques begin to appear on the gums, on which food debris, bacteria, and mucus accumulate. They become the cause of caries. Caries negatively affects future molars and leads to various diseases and infections of the oral cavity. To avoid these problems, you need to take care of the hygiene of the baby’s teeth and mouth from the first months of life.

Up to six months, gums and teething teeth are cleaned with a sterile bandage or napkin, which is moistened with warm boiled water. This procedure is carried out after each feeding of the child. In addition, you can use special finger wipes that allow you to effectively and safely clean your baby’s teeth in just one or two procedures a day. Periodically also wipe the tongue and wash off plaque after food or breast milk.

After six months they switch to a finger brush or a thimble brush, and after a year - to a soft baby brush. Before introducing complementary foods, pediatricians recommend choosing neutral or milk toothpastes. When the baby is already constantly receiving it, you can switch to fruit pastes. And after 1.5-2 years, you can already teach the baby to brush his teeth on his own, but until he is 5-6 years old, he must do this under the supervision of his parents. Let's look at how to teach a child to brush their teeth.

When to teach your child to brush their teeth on their own

It is important to accustom infants to caring for their teeth and oral cavity from an early age. By the age of 1.5-2 years, this procedure should already become a habit. Cleaning must be carried out twice a day, morning and evening, for two to three minutes. At two or three years old, a child is taught to rinse his mouth with water, and by the age of nine - to use dental floss.

It is very important to choose the right hygiene products. After a year, a child's toothbrush with soft silicone bristles, a head length of 18-23 mm and a short, comfortable handle is used. It is important that the baby feels comfortable holding the brush in his hands. Do not choose natural bristles, as they accumulate bacteria well. To ensure your toothbrush remains safe and does not harbor bacteria and cause infection, replace the product regularly. You need to change your toothbrush every two to three months. Change the product if your baby is sick.

Until the child learns to brush his teeth on his own and learns to spit out the water and toothpaste after brushing, use toothpaste that does not contain fluoride. The fact is that children under 3-4 years old do not yet know how to spit and will swallow the paste. And such fluorine is very toxic and gradually accumulates in the body, which will cause digestive disorders and stool disorders.

They switch to toothpaste with fruit flavors after the introduction of complementary foods, to children's toothpastes containing fluoride - after three years, to adult classic toothpastes - after 14 years. When choosing a paste, be sure to check the expiration dates and composition of the product. In addition, the product must be appropriate for the child's age.

How to teach a child to brush his teeth

  • The best way to teach a child something is by example. Show your children by example how to brush their teeth properly. It’s better to carry out the procedures together. Take your baby with you to the bath every time you go to brush your teeth;
  • Ceremoniously present the first toothbrush in your baby’s life. Explain that this is one of the first steps towards adulthood. Many children want not only to imitate adults, but also to have adult things, to be adults;
  • A toothbrush should be comfortable and practical. The baby should be able to hold the product in his hand without any problems. And the bristles should be soft and comfortable, so as not to scratch the gums and palate or cause discomfort to the baby;
  • Choose bright brushes for your baby. Today, manufacturers offer various designs and colors of these products, including those with characters from popular cartoons;
  • Try choosing a toothbrush with your child. The baby should like the product, it should make the baby happy. After all, the baby uses a brush several times a day;
  • The child must definitely like the toothpaste. Don't be afraid if he accidentally swallows the composition, as children's toothpastes without fluoride are safe for babies;
  • To teach your child how to hold a brush and brush their teeth correctly, gently run the brush over their teeth. Give him a brush in his hand and let the child try it himself. If necessary, prompt him and guide the pen, explain and comment on each step. Praise the baby and never scold him!;
  • Do not put pressure on the brush, gently move it up and down along the inside and outside using sweeping movements from the gum to the tooth;

  • Turn an ordinary boring procedure into a fun game. Let the baby brush his teeth in time with a nursery rhyme or poem;
  • Arrange competitions between an adult and a child to see who can run to the bathroom faster and who can brush their teeth faster. You can arrange similar competitions between children;
  • Go to the dentist. This is not only a necessary procedure for maintaining dental health. Modern dental offices and clinics are equipped with a wide variety of educational materials, including for the youngest patients. The doctor will clearly show and tell you why and how you need to brush your teeth;
  • At home, you can watch cartoons or educational children's programs with a special theme, which are also told to the kids in a playful way, then you need to brush your teeth, how to properly carry out this procedure;
  • Be sure to praise your child even with small successes. Praise is an additional incentive to achieve a goal. You can even use small rewards;
  • Allow your child to take his favorite toy into the bathroom. In addition, he can teach toys to brush their teeth correctly. For this, it is better to take plastic toys. By the way, for such toys it is convenient to use an old toothbrush or small brushes from travel kits that are given out on trains or airplanes;
  • Consistency is the key to success in learning. Brush your teeth twice every day and do not skip a single procedure. Regularity and consistency will lead to a useful habit. You can start a special calendar where you will mark each cleaning. And, for example, for a successful week, if the baby tried hard and did not miss a single procedure, give the child a small reward;
  • At the age of two or three years, gradually teach your baby to rinse his mouth with water or a special mouthwash (choose only children's products!). Thus, in the future he will learn to spit out water and paste after cleaning;
  • Closely monitor your baby to see how correctly he performs the procedure. Dentists recommend monitoring this process for up to six to seven years. If necessary, help your child and brush his teeth.

Under no circumstances should you shout or scold your child if something doesn’t work out! Do not force your baby to brush his teeth, otherwise he will lose interest in this procedure and begin to have a negative attitude towards brushing. But this cannot be left to chance! The child must take care of his teeth and oral cavity, brushing his teeth twice every day. Otherwise, the baby will develop caries, which will result in thrush, sore throat, tonsillitis and other infections.

Hello my beloved readers. Do you take care of your teeth? What about your baby's teeth? It’s still early, you think, we only have 1-2 teeth. Do you know how to teach a child to brush their teeth without hysterics and tears? Believe me, the main thing is your imagination, and I will now tell you the right path to your goal. Read and find out for yourself.

I think it’s no news to anyone that brushing a child’s teeth you need to start with the appearance of the first . But how often do parents have to deal with the reluctance of their child to undergo this hygienic procedure, how many tears and nerves are spent on this on both sides!

What brush should I use to brush my baby's teeth?

At first, when my daughter had no more than four teeth, we brushed them silicone brush , put on the finger: in the morning, after breakfast and in the evening, before bed. The silicone brush was perceived positively, because it could be chewed and the gums scratched, although my mother’s fingers sometimes suffered. At the same time, the child saw his parents brush their teeth; his own example is very important.

You can buy a silicone brush for your first teeth at this site . Also pay attention to the huge selection of toothbrushes for children of all ages.

Then together we chose the first brush in the store. More precisely, the mother pre-selected the brush, and the daughter was asked to decide on the color and picture.

Toothpaste We started using it at 1 year old, it could have been earlier, but my daughter is prone to allergies, so I held off. We change the brush as it wears out , each time choosing a new one in the store together.

Important at first find a position that is comfortable for the child and parent. Since at first children usually eat the paste anyway, I didn’t bother with rinsing right away. For us, the most comfortable position was the same as for feeding, the baby is half-sitting, the head rests on the mother’s arm bent at the elbow. Later they started cleaning while standing on a stool by the sink, with mom at the side.

It’s more convenient for us this way, maybe another option will suit you, but the main thing is that there is no discomfort.

To distract the child, I told Poems while cleaning , and she did it very loudly and emotionally, so that the daughter focused all her attention on me, and not on the manipulations I was performing. The trick with poetry lasted us quite a long time, although we had to periodically change the repertoire.

Then we added brushing the teeth of all the toy friends, which of course increased the time spent on hygiene procedures, but gave the desired result. And then, when all the teeth grew in (at about 2 years old), the whole cleaning process took quite a lot of time. It was necessary to clearly convince the child of the necessity of the procedures being carried out.

Then our story was invented, which has been working for us for a year now. This is a story about how bad germs live in the mouth, and if you don’t drive them out by brushing your teeth morning and evening, they eat your teeth. Well, of course all this has been told like a fairy tale , drawn in pictures and played out in roles.

Now, after finishing the hygiene measures, we solemnly take a towel and go together to the door drive evil germs out into the street . My daughter herself reminds me of the need to brush her teeth, she learned to rinse her mouth, she is now 2.5 years old. I hope that at the age of 3 this will become a good habit for her.

Now watch the video in which the famous doctor Komarovsky talks about how to teach a child to brush their teeth and when toothpaste is needed:

In short, as always when it comes to raising a baby, show your imagination, and then even such a not very pleasant activity as brushing your teeth can be made fun.

Now, I think you won't have any problems brushing your teeth. Share the article on social networks, and also subscribe to the blog, because we still have a lot of educational things. Good luck to you!