The baby's first teeth appear at about 6 months, and from this period parents start thinking about how to care for them. Does it need to be cleaned? What brush? At what age can a child be taught to use a brush on their own?Children of any age should not neglect oral hygiene. It is especially important to brush children's teeth after introducing complementary foods.

If your baby has learned to spit out water, then it’s time to teach him to brush his teeth.

At what age to start?

All mothers face the problem: when to start brushing their child’s teeth? Don't delay this! Dr. Komarovsky recommends performing oral hygiene when the baby has 1 tooth. It would be a good idea to occasionally clean your tongue and gums with a gauze bandage wrapped around your finger.

At six months of age, once a day is enough. From the age of one year, the child learns to brush twice a day: in the morning, after waking up, and in the evening before going to bed.

Almost all the causes of caries in children lie, as they say, on the surface. Who among us has not seen how a mother licks a pacifier that has fallen on the floor and the ground and gives it again to the baby? Who hasn’t seen a grandmother taking a sample of food on a spoon? If the baby has not yet cut his teeth, then with this pacifier the mother will carefully put Streptococcus mutans into the baby’s mouth (and this is if the mother’s teeth are in order!). If there is at least one tooth with pulpitis, then the courier pacifier will deliver staphylococcus or peptostreptococcus to the baby, and if the periodontium suffers, then various “cocci”, mushrooms, and trichomonas are added. Having thus infected the oral cavity of an infant, a whole chain of factors begins that contribute to the development of caries in young children. So the main rule in caring for a child’s oral cavity is to start with yourself!

Features of oral hygiene in children after one year

If the first procedures are carried out by parents, at 12–18 months the child is already able to perform them independently. A few recommendations on how best to accustom your baby to this:

1. At one year old, the child feels his “adulthood” and strives to imitate his mother and father in everything. It is important to seize the moment and offer to brush your teeth yourself, like your parents, grandparents, older brother or sister, and begin to teach them to use toothpaste.
2. You shouldn’t leave your baby alone with the brush at first. First, you should make sure that the child has mastered cleaning correctly and rinses his mouth thoroughly.
3. Parents control the amount of toothpaste the child uses (we recommend reading:). For children, it is enough to squeeze out a pea-sized amount of paste.

How to brush your one-year-old child's teeth? There are general rules developed by dentists:

1. The lower teeth should be cleaned from bottom to top, the upper teeth - vice versa.
2. It is not enough to brush only the front of your teeth; you must also clean the back surface of your teeth, as well as your tongue.
3. Food fragments often remain between the teeth. To remove food and prevent rotting and proliferation of pathogenic microbes, floss is suitable.

The parents’ personal example will become a habitual teeth-brushing ritual for the baby.

Up to 12 months, parents brush their teeth, then teach the child to be independent. When learning to brush your teeth, you should follow simple rules:

1. Lead by example. If you brush your teeth in the morning and evening, your baby will get used to it and will not miss hygiene procedures in the future.
2. Toothpaste can be used only when the baby learns to rinse his mouth and spit out all the water without swallowing. You can come up with a fun game. Let the child be a fountain or a little dragon who spits water instead of fire.
3. In addition to morning and evening procedures, the child should rinse his mouth after each meal. You should not purchase special rinses; it is better to use plain boiled water.

It is important to be patient! It takes time for a child to learn a new skill. Those children whose learning process evoked positive emotions learn faster.

Cleaning technique

Detailed instructions for the baby and parents:

1. Before use, the brush should be rinsed with water from the kettle. Boil before first use.
2. Before cleaning, rinse your mouth.
3. Parents squeeze a small amount of paste onto the brush (about the size of a pea).
4. The entire surface of the teeth is cleaned with correct vertical movements: from top to bottom for the upper jaw and vice versa.
5. To clean the chewing surface, the brush should be moved back and forth.
6. The gums and lateral surfaces are cleaned with circular movements.
7. Each procedure takes at least 2 minutes! Otherwise, the teeth will not be cleaned enough.
8. When finished, rinse your teeth with boiled water several times.
9. Wash your toothbrush thoroughly.

Show your child how to brush their teeth properly

How to persuade an unwilling woman?

What to do if your baby won’t let you brush your teeth, because not everyone can stand a two-minute monotonous task. You need to pick up a “key” for the child. At first, parents do the cleaning. Gradually the baby will become interested in the process. Use what the baby is interested in.

First, it’s worth explaining to your child why he should brush his teeth. Please note that all people have to do this. Tell us how unpleasant it is for teeth to be dirty, and how harmful microbes become in them from this. If your baby still won't let you brush your teeth, you can use some tricks.

Cleaning clock

An hourglass will help you spend time with interest. Children really like to watch the sand pouring out, especially if it is colored.

You can find kits on sale: toothpaste or a brush and a watch with sand, which is poured in exactly 2 minutes - the time needed to remove plaque. You should keep such a device in the bathroom and use it to control the time you clean your teeth.

Cartoons, fairy tales, books

On the Internet you can find many cartoons for little ones about brushing their teeth! It will be useful and interesting for children to watch and learn from the experience of the heroes. Among the Soviet cartoons, one can highlight the film “The Bird of Tari” - this is a story about a harmful crocodile who did not brush his teeth, and about a small bird who helped a large reptile cope with the problem.

There are thematic books, poems, songs, nursery rhymes - you can actively use them to facilitate the learning process. The leader among fairy tales is “Moidodyr” by Chukovsky.

Toys

Does your little one have a favorite teddy bear or doll? So you need to “brush” their teeth! Let the little one take care of her pet first, and then of her own mouth. The toys will “thank” a caring baby for clean teeth.

You can use anything: cars, dolls, soft toys - the main thing is that it interests the baby. It is good to buy a brush in the form of a toy.

The baby will gladly agree to brush the teeth of his favorite toy, and then himself.

Cleaning together

Joint morning and evening procedures will definitely teach the baby the rules of hygiene. A child can brush his mom’s or dad’s teeth, and then his parents will brush his teeth too.

To make it more interesting and fun, you can come up with simple prizes for good hygiene procedures. For example, giving a tooth sticker as a thank you for caring can be done every day or once a week.

Why should you brush your teeth?

Of course, baby teeth change over time, but you need to care for them as if they were permanent teeth and you should start as early as possible (more details in the article:). It is important to maintain the health of your first teeth because:

• Due to temporary teeth, the child develops a correct bite and ensures normal growth of molars;
• teeth play an important role in the structure of the skull; as bones grow, facial features are formed;
• poor oral care leads to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, teeth are affected by caries, and then the bacteria enter the baby’s stomach and provoke diseases;
• If caries on temporary teeth is not cured, the disease also affects the molars;
• Regular brushing of teeth is one of the most important rules for the overall health of the body; it is important to remember this from childhood.

Healthy teeth are beautiful teeth. This is an important aspect of self-confidence. In addition, dental treatment is painful, and many children are afraid of the dentist like fire. It’s easier to prevent the problem and prevent caries and other diseases. For some children, teeth appear as early as 3 months, while for others the process is delayed until 8 months - in any case, when teeth appear, parents should brush them regularly. You can trust a one-year-old baby with a toothbrush to brush his teeth on his own only if the child has already learned to rinse his mouth.

As soon as the baby’s first teeth begin to cut, parents start thinking about how to brush their child’s teeth. Do I need a special brush? Which pasta should you choose? These questions torment young mothers and fathers. It’s worse if parents consider brushing their teeth unnecessary. This approach to business is not only wrong, but also dangerous.

When should you start brushing your child's teeth?

The question of when to start brushing a child’s teeth arises for all mothers without exception. The only difference is that many parents start asking it too late.

Despite the fact that many mothers underestimate the importance of regular oral cleaning, it is very important to perform this procedure every day from the moment the baby’s first tooth appears. This usually happens by 6 months, when the baby begins to receive complementary foods. During this period, 1-2 cleanings per day are enough.

Later, at 1-1.5 years, the toddler should be taught to brush his teeth twice a day. If the baby is not irritated by this procedure, you can increase the number of cleanings to three per day.

How to brush your child's teeth?

Up to a year old, you can brush your baby’s teeth with a soft cloth or gauze moistened with water. Now there are special rubber brushes on sale that fit onto the parent’s finger and thus facilitate the cleaning process. You can purchase such a device.

By the age of one year, it is recommended to buy your baby a soft toothbrush for this age. It should not negatively affect the enamel or injure the gums. Apart from a brush, up to three years of age, no additional products (toothpastes, gels) are required.

When your baby turns three years old, you can start teaching him to brush his teeth on his own. Technically this is possible, but many children at this age find it difficult to brush their teeth efficiently and thoroughly, so they need the help of their parents. Also during this period, you can introduce the baby to toothpaste.

Remember the following rules regarding oral hygiene products.

• Change your baby brush every 2-3 months.
• Choose a brush with soft bristles and a rounded head so that your baby does not inadvertently injure the oral mucosa.
• It is better to buy a beautiful brush with an interesting design - this will help instill in your child a love for oral hygiene. Now on sale you can find brushes with children's cartoon characters, princesses and superheroes. Your little one will surely love these bright fairy brushes.
• Don't buy toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• There is no need to use whitening pastes for toddlers, as they contain a large amount of abrasives and can damage the enamel.
• Don’t skimp on children’s toothpaste - it’s better to buy toothpaste that is allowed to be swallowed, since until the age of 3-4 years, children do not spit out toothpaste well.
• Mouthwash can only be prescribed by a dentist.
• Children's toothpaste should not contain parabens, aggressive surfactants, or dyes.

How to choose a toothbrush for a child?

There are several secrets that will help you choose the best brush for your child.

1. Do not buy brushes made from natural bristles, as bacteria multiply very quickly on them. The consequence of using such eco-brushes will be constant stomatitis in the baby and problems with teeth.
2. When buying a brush for a child under 3 years of age, pay attention to the handle. It should be thick and durable - only such a device can hold a baby aged 1-3 years.
3. The bristles should be collected in “group sections”. There should be 23 or more such groups.
4. A child under 5 years old needs a very soft brush (extra-soft).
5. The length of the toothbrush head should be 18-23 mm.

The Pigeon brand has a whole set of brushes: one - a thimble brush - is intended for brushing the teeth of a six-month-old baby, the other is suitable for a 1-2 year old baby, the third - the largest - will help teach a child to brush their teeth on their own.

Bebe Comfort has a similar set. Popular children's brushes are from the manufacturers Rocs, Mir Detstva (Kurnosiki), Nuk, Canpol.

How to properly brush a one-year-old child's teeth?

When the baby turns 1 year old, you need to use a special baby brush with a long handle to clean the mouth.

Not everyone knows how to properly brush children's teeth. Due to parents' mistakes, the child's first teeth suffer, the enamel wears off, and caries occurs. Don't make mistakes - brush your teeth correctly!

This is done as follows.

• Wet the brush with water.
• Position the brush at a 45-degree angle and gently brush over your baby's teeth. Movements should be made from the gums to the edges of the teeth.
• Clean off plaque with soft, gentle movements. Do not press or scrape children's teeth.
• Explain to your child why you are doing this.
• If the child tries to use the brush independently, do not interfere. Better show him how to brush his teeth properly by moving his hand.
• Teach your toddler to rinse his mouth with water and spit out the paste. Explain that this is very important.

A child needs 2 minutes to clean the mouth (an adult – 3). In order not to irritate your child with a long procedure, buy a 2-minute hourglass and invite your baby to track the time of brushing his teeth using it. The little one will be so carried away that he will not be capricious. As a last resort, you can show him short 2-minute cartoons.

How to teach your child to brush his teeth on his own?

It happens that the baby does not want to brush his teeth on his own. In this case, it is very easy to teach a child to brush his teeth - you need to turn the brushing process into a game. A few tips below will help you teach your baby this useful skill.

1. Buy a beautiful, bright brush and toothpaste with a pleasant taste.
2. Invite your child to play “cleaners.” The one who brushes his teeth better and more diligently gets a small prize. The prize could be watching a cartoon, a bright sticker, or a healthy sweet.
3. You can allow your baby to brush your teeth or his toys. Sometimes watching a movie about how to properly care for your mouth can work well.
4. Involve older children in the process.

As a rule, by the age of 4-5 years, all children brush their teeth on their own.

Why is it important to care for children's teeth?

For some reason, many parents perceive their baby’s “baby” teeth as something temporary, impermanent, and therefore unimportant. “They’ll fall out anyway,” careless mothers shrug their shoulders when asked why so little time and effort is devoted to caring for their children’s teeth. Nevertheless, such a position is not only wrong, but also dangerous.
Brushing a one-year-old child's teeth is very important because:

• they form the correct bite and ensure the correct growth of permanent teeth;
• they participate in the formation of the bones of the skull, and therefore facial features;
• Irregular brushing of teeth contributes to the formation of bacteria in the oral cavity, which enter the child’s stomach with food and can cause many diseases;
• improper care can contribute to the development of caries not only on “milk” teeth, but also on permanent teeth;
• Early training in proper oral care creates in the child a sense of neatness and respect for his or her health.

In addition, beautiful teeth are the undoubted pride of every person. This parameter affects whether a person is confident and open to others.

Conclusion

Cleanliness of the oral cavity is the key to healthy teeth, both “milk” and permanent. If you want the best for your little one, don’t be lazy about brushing your baby’s teeth twice a day from the moment they appear. In addition, it is important to teach your child to visit the dentist at least 1-2 times a year. This will prevent and avoid many problems in the future.

At what age should a child brush his teeth? All parents want to see beautiful and healthy teeth in their children, so they need to teach their children how to care for their oral cavity from childhood.

Care products and a toothbrush must be purchased that are appropriate for the baby’s age to make teeth brushing as comfortable as possible.

When to start brushing your baby's teeth

A child's teeth begin to form in the womb. 6-8 months after birth, the first of them appear: first, the two lower ones, and then the two upper ones. By the age of 2.5 years, the baby has already cut 20 teeth.

Oral care must begin from the moment they erupt. You will have to work especially hard with your first baby teeth. Coarse abrasives and brushes are completely unsuitable here.

For care, it is better to use a piece of sterile bandage soaked in warm water, which must be used to carefully treat the teeth. In addition, in pharmacies you can buy small soft brushes that fit on your finger and with which you can gently clean your baby’s teeth.

After some time, the baby gradually needs to be taught to be independent. To do this, buy him a personal brush with a small head and soft natural bristles. Your baby should brush his teeth twice a day. Toothpaste for children under three years of age should be for children, which does not contain fluoride. By the way, children often swallow the paste, so they need to be taught to spit it out.

It should be noted that children's toothpaste must comply with all safety rules and be approved by Russian dermatologists. This fact must be taken into account, since the wrong toothpaste can lead to allergies in the baby.

You should also not leave your child unattended in the bathroom. Due to the fact that children’s hand motor skills are not yet very well developed, they will not be able to properly clean their teeth on their own. Therefore, after cleaning them, parents must complete the process, that is, remove the plaque that the children could not remove.

It is necessary to clean your mouth with your children for about two years, until you are absolutely convinced that the baby can cope on his own.

It is very important to teach your child not only to spit out toothpaste, but also to rinse his mouth correctly. They should do this after every meal. Therefore, be sure to monitor your child’s actions until it becomes a habit.

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What are the consequences of poor quality teeth cleaning in children?

The main dental pathology in young children is due to the fact that they do not follow the rules of hygiene or do it incorrectly. The danger of caries exists from the moment teeth begin to emerge.

Caries is a pathological process that destroys the hard tissue of teeth and forms cavities (holes) in it. The consequences of caries can be tooth loss, as well as an inflammatory reaction in the oral cavity, which can cause severe pain.

The cause of caries is the formation of microorganisms of the genus streptococcus mutans and sugar (carbohydrates) in the oral cavity. With improper hygiene, they begin to actively multiply and affect the oral cavity. First, plaque (tartar) appears, which later turns into blackheads.

Tooth decay is an infectious disease and can be passed from one family member to another through saliva or food. Therefore, when preparing food for your baby, you must follow the rules of hygiene. Make sure that the spoon you use to stir food does not reach your child. The fact is that it may contain pathogenic saliva, and if you have caries, you can pass it on to your child through food.

Sugar is another reason for tooth decay in children who love sweets. If you do not rinse your mouth, pathogenic microbes may begin to form on the surface of your teeth. They very quickly penetrate the root and begin to attack it. Kids begin to complain that their teeth hurt. During an external examination of the oral cavity, parents may not always notice that caries is already actively working. The acid produced by sugar very quickly destroys tooth enamel. Small black dots or spots appear on the surface. It is especially dangerous to eat sweets at night. If you forget about cleaning, then the appearance of caries is guaranteed. Parents should carefully monitor how much candy, carbonated drinks and baked goods their child eats. Dentists recommend brushing and rinsing your mouth every time after eating sweets.

The first question will probably be “is it necessary to brush your teeth in early childhood?” In addition, you will need to figure out what toothbrush and toothpaste can be used for this procedure, and how to generally teach the baby to use these items. All these questions will be answered in the presented material.

At what age should a child brush his teeth?

Many mothers underestimate the importance of the procedure in question and start teaching their baby to use a toothbrush late. Pediatricians say that brushing the mouth and teeth should begin from the moment the child already has at least one tooth. As a rule, this corresponds to the age of 5-6 months and at this time it is enough to clean the tooth once a day.

Closer to one and a half years, the child will need to be taught to brush his teeth at least twice a day, and if this procedure does not irritate him, then three.

How to brush your child's teeth

Until the age of 1 year, the baby needs to clean his teeth and mouth with a soft cloth or gauze, which should first be moistened in water. There are special finger attachments on sale in the form of soft rubber brushes that parents can use.

Closer to one year of age (10-11 months), you can buy a toothbrush for your baby. This item should be selected individually, paying attention to the soft bristles - there are toothbrushes on sale that are designed specifically for use by children, and they will be the best option. A toothbrush should never injure the gums or enamel on the teeth.

Note:up to the age of 3 years, the baby will not need anything else except a toothbrush. Toothpastes, gels and powders are prohibited.

During the period of 1-3 years, the baby needs to brush his teeth and clean the entire oral cavity twice/thrice a day, and parents should do this. Of course, the child will try to carry out the hygiene procedure himself - you must immediately teach him how to hold a toothbrush correctly. But it is technically difficult for a child to brush his teeth and cleanse his mouth even at the age of three, so parents will need help in any case. Just a three-year-old child can already buy a special children's toothpaste.

In order not to miss something important while a child is learning to brush their teeth, parents should remember a few simple rules regarding oral hygiene devices:

How to choose a toothbrush for a child

Experts say that parents will be able to choose the right toothbrush for their baby if they remember and use the following recommendations:

1. You cannot buy brushes made of natural bristles - pathogenic microorganisms multiply very quickly on such material. If a child uses just such a toothbrush, stomatitis may develop in the oral cavity.
2. If you are going to buy a toothbrush for a child aged 1-3 years, then when choosing, you should pay attention to its handle - it should be strong and thick so that the baby can hold it confidently.
3. The bristles on the hygiene device in question should be collected in “group sections”, of which there should be 23 pieces.
4. A child under 5 years of age should only use a very soft toothbrush.
5. The length of the head of a child's toothbrush should not be more than 23 mm.

Some brands have on sale a full set of the hygiene devices in question: a thimble brush (suitable for a six-month-old baby), with a small head and thick handle (will be the best option for a child 1-2 years old), the largest one (will speed up the child’s learning process).

We recommend reading:

General principles of proper brushing of teeth for a one-year-old child

As soon as the baby turns 1 year old, you need to clean his mouth and teeth with a special brush with a long handle. Pediatricians and pediatric dentists note a bad trend - parents do not know how and do not know how to properly brush their children’s teeth, which leads to abrasion of the enamel and early caries. But it is enough to adhere to a clear algorithm to avoid such problems:

Another important point: Pediatricians and pediatric dentists recommend brushing your baby’s teeth for two minutes. This procedure may be unpleasant for the child, he may begin to be capricious, but you can find a way out of the situation - for example, buy a 2-minute hourglass and invite the child to keep track of time, or watch a two-minute cartoon.

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

Quite often, parents are faced with the fact that their child flatly refuses to brush their teeth on their own. In this case, you need to turn the process in question into a game! First, you need to buy him a beautiful, bright and unusual toothbrush. In addition to it, it is worth purchasing “tasty” toothpaste, but only one that you can swallow. Secondly, you can invite your child to play “cleaners” - whoever cleans his teeth better and more thoroughly will receive a prize (for this you should stock up on bright stickers and healthy sweets). Thirdly, you can find films on the Internet about how to properly brush your teeth - demonstrating “requirements” in action often has a positive effect on the baby’s desires.

Usually, by the age of 4-5 years, children can brush their teeth independently. If parents taught their child to this hygienic procedure from a very early age, then brushing teeth will become a habitual “event.”

Why do children need to brush their teeth?

Many parents believe that the child’s “baby” teeth are temporary, they do not serve any special function: “they will be replaced by permanent ones, then they will need to be cleaned.” This is a wrong opinion! It is very important to brush your teeth from early childhood and there are several reasons for this:

• milk teeth form and ensure proper growth of permanent teeth;
• any teeth are involved in the formation of the bones of the skull, and therefore have a great influence on the formation of facial features;
• if teeth are brushed irregularly, then pathogenic bacteria will enter the baby’s body (from the mouth to the intestines), which can lead to the development of quite serious pathologies;
• If the care of teeth and oral cavity is not carried out correctly, this will lead to the development

When to start cleaning

Dropout pattern

Which teeth change

Every adult pays enough attention to brushing their own teeth, but when a child’s teeth begin to cut in their first year of life, many are lost and don’t know whether babies under one year old need brushing, how to properly brush baby teeth, and what hygiene products to choose for children.

At any age, it is important to maintain oral hygiene for your baby!

The rationality of early oral hygiene

The opinion that the first teeth, called baby teeth, do not require cleaning is deeply mistaken. If you do not pay attention to caring for children's teeth, the risk of caries in children increases many times over. This is primarily due to the lower strength of enamel in primary teeth. In addition, the diet of young children contains quite a lot of carbohydrates (they are found in both breast milk and formula), which are a source of food for bacteria that cause caries.

If you do not clean your teeth on time and do not remove food debris and accumulated plaque from your children’s mouths, bacteria will develop more actively and the risk of caries will increase.

To maintain the health of teeth that have not yet erupted, you need to promptly clean the oral cavity from food debris.

In addition, early manifestations of caries in the form of white spots often go unnoticed in children. The disease spreads unhindered deep into the dental tissues, and when the teeth begin to ache, meeting the dentist will become a serious test for the child’s psyche.

Lack of cleaning and the rapid development of caries cause the loss of baby teeth, which threatens permanent teeth. The infection can spread to their buds and the newly erupted molar will have to be treated by a dentist. There are also frequent displacements of teeth, which at an older age will have to be corrected with plates or braces in order to avoid ridicule from peers and problems with chewing. As you can see, the importance of primary occlusion hygiene is really great.

For proper bite formation, it is important to maintain the health of baby teeth for as long as possible.

When and at what age is it better to start brushing your teeth?

The age period at which a particular child needs to start brushing his teeth will be individual for each baby, because teeth erupt in different ways for different children. A general recommendation for all children is to start brushing their teeth from the moment the first incisor “hatches.”

For most babies, this happens at the age of 6-8 months, but for some babies, the first tooth can erupt at 3-4 months, and for some, the first tooth appears at 11-12 months.

Since almost all babies have at least one tooth by the age of one year, the question “should a one-year-old child have his teeth brushed?” has only one answer - “required”.

The sooner your baby learns to brush his teeth, the healthier they will be.

It is important to take into account that at the moment of teething, local immunity in the baby’s mouth decreases, and the inflamed gum reacts to contact with any objects quite painfully. That's why You need to brush your teething teeth very carefully.

Some dentists insist on starting children's oral cavity cleaning earlier - even before the first tooth erupts. They explain this by the fact that milk and complementary foods get into the baby’s mouth, as a result of which microorganisms accumulate on the mucous membrane even in the absence of teeth. In their opinion, you should start caring for your gums from three to four months of age. This will help your baby develop the habit of caring for his teeth. In addition, babies at this age do not react negatively to the brush.

Dr. Komarovsky’s opinion regarding the age at which you should start brushing your baby’s teeth is in the video:

How to clean it properly?

If the baby has not yet developed a single tooth, brushing simply involves wiping the tongue and gums. The very first teeth are also simply wiped, since even using the softest brush will be painful for the baby. To clean your baby's teeth, you can use:

• A piece of bandage or gauze soaked in boiled water.
• Napkins “Toothpickers”.
• Dental wipes "Spiffies".

The water used to moisten the gauze can be slightly salted. Cotton wool is not used for wiping, since this is not a rough enough material, which, moreover, can leave fibers in the baby’s mouth.

Special wipes for wiping children's mouths are soaked xylitol, which is a safe antiseptic. They protect the oral cavity from thrush and caries, and relieve pain. The wipes can be unflavored or have a pleasant mint, banana, apple or grape flavor. The only disadvantage of such napkins is their high cost, since they are disposable.

From the age of 6 months, when the ejection reflex has disappeared, they begin to use either a silicone fingertip or a classic brush in the children's version for cleaning - with a short handle and soft bristles, as well as with a small cleaning surface area. More often A brush worn on a finger is used until the age of one, and a regular brush is bought for children over one year of age.

Infants' teeth and gums are cleaned using a silicone fingertip

In order for your little one to learn how to properly brush their teeth, you should act gradually:

• At 6-8 months of age The baby is introduced to the brush and allowed to get used to using it.
• Between 8 and 12 months of age The child is shown the correct movements when brushing his teeth.
• From 1 year to 3 years of age The baby is taught to thoroughly brush his teeth.

The frequency of brushing your child’s teeth is twice a day. At the same time, evening cleaning done before bed is more important than cleaning done in the morning, so you shouldn’t forget about it. The duration of each procedure is approximately 2-3 minutes, although the first cleanings may be shorter while the baby gets used to the manipulation.

Follow these rules:

1. The brush should be positioned at an angle of 45° to the child’s teeth.
2. The movements of the brush should be in the direction from the gums to the cutting edge.
3. Cleaning should be done on both the inside and outside of each tooth.
4. To clean the chewing surface, forward circular movements are used.
5. At the end of the procedure, the tongue is cleaned with the back of the brush.

The procedure for brushing a baby’s teeth is clearly demonstrated in a video from the channel. MJmelka:

At what age can a baby brush his teeth by himself?

Invite your child to pick up a brush and try to brush his teeth on his own from the age of one. Please note that under the age of three years, a child is not yet able to clean his teeth properly, so after his attempts to brush on his own, parents will have to additionally brush the baby’s teeth again. However, it is important to support the toddler’s desire to brush his teeth himself.

How to teach a child to brush their teeth on their own?

It is best to teach children how to use a toothbrush by their parents’ own example, because children love to imitate the actions of adults.

A mirror can also help with learning., so while brushing, give your child the opportunity to look at his reflection. This way, the baby will be able to better control his actions and observe the movements of the brush in his mouth.

Tell and show your child that you need to brush your teeth with toothpaste this way:

1. Before the procedure, rinse your mouth with warm water.
2. Squeeze a little toothpaste (no more than a pea) onto the brush.
3. Clean the external, chewing and internal surfaces of all teeth.
4. Rub your tongue with a brush.
5. Rinse your mouth well with warm water.
6. Rinse the brush under the tap and place it in a glass with the head up.

What to do if your baby refuses to brush his teeth?

Many children initially have a negative attitude towards the toothbrush, since it is a foreign object that can cause discomfort in the baby. If your child has a bad attitude towards brushing his teeth, you should not give up trying to accustom your baby to oral hygiene.

Encourage your baby to brush his teeth every day. In addition, try cleaning with different brushes and different pastes.

To interest your baby, brushing your teeth can be made more interesting:

• While the baby is brushing his teeth, sing a song or read a poem.
• Make the brushing procedure a “secret task” during which the child confronts the caries bacteria.
• Take your favorite toy with you to the bathroom.
• Arrange a competition in terms of speed of cleaning, in which parents, of course, will give in.
• Turn on a program on your phone in which a funny character will brush your teeth with your child.