If you have a toddler, you may wonder at what age they will be able to brush their own teeth. Each child’s pace is different in terms of developing motor skills as well as the attention span necessary to perform this task.
You should already be cleaning your small child’s teeth twice a day using a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste. “Brush up” on the right way in our blog Brushing Children’s Teeth.
Here are some tips to help your child learn to brush the right way to establish lifelong good oral health habits:
- Use your imagination to create a fun story – for instance, that brushing helps fight the bad guys (plaque).
- Visit the tooth care aisle of your favorite store together. Let your child pick a child-sized toothbrush, decorated with a favorite character, and fluoride toothpaste – with your approval, of course. Make sure that the products are marked with the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance.
- Consider a battery-powered spin toothbrush. These are fun to use and may persuade your toddler to brush. Some models encourage the child to brush for 2 minutes with music or by making a special signal.
- Pair up at the sink. Brush your teeth along with your child to demonstrate effective techniques. Add a healthy competition to see who can brush every tooth or who brushes the longest.
- Watch that your child adds the right amount of toothpaste to the brush and that they spit it all out afterwards.
- Create a reward chart and add a sticker to each day that they brushe twice a day, 2 minutes each time.
When first starting out, you can take turns to be sure the teeth are still getting a proper cleaning. Your child can brush in the morning and you can handle the brushing in the evening.
Let Us Know If You See Any Problem with Your Child’s Teeth
Dr. Lorraine Burio of Candlewood Dental Care has been treating and educating patients for over twenty-five years. Our office serves the New Fairfield, New Milford, Danbury, and Sherman areas of CT and Pawling, Patterson and Putnam Lake of New York. You can call us at 203-746-1200 or make an appointment here.