Every parent has gone through the battle of trying to get their child to brush their teeth properly. Some days the kids want to brush, while other days, they want to spit their toothpaste out and run the other direction. Thankfully, those phases typically pass quickly, and most kids really get into brushing their teeth in a short time. Making sure that you are brushing with children the right way can go a long way towards them accepting the process and it becoming something they do instead of something they dread.
How to Properly Brush a Child’s Teeth
First, you must understand the right amount of toothpaste when you want to brush your child’s teeth. The point of brushing is to try and brush for two minutes, without spitting out all of the toothpaste. If your child can go the full two minutes without spitting, that is a great feat! In order to minimize their need to spit, you need to use the right amount of toothpaste on their brush. For a child up to one year of age, you should go with water or just a touch of the toothpaste to the brush you use. If you can see tiny flecks of toothpaste, that is enough. Just make sure it is toothpaste appropriate for their age.
From age one to age three, the total amount of toothpaste is about the equivalent of a single grain of rice. That’s right, you want just that bit of toothpaste on there. Again, your goal is to minimize spitting so the toothpaste has time to work on their teeth. From three to age six, you should go with a large grain of rice, which basically means just a tiny bit more. After age six, you want to go with toothpaste that is the average size of a pea. That is plenty, and will get their teeth clean so long as they brush well.
Here at Holman Family Dentistry, We Can Help Kids Get Healthy Smiles
If you want help getting your children to brush properly, then give our office a call. We love helping inspire kids to love taking care of their mouths. It is a great part of what we do. We will show them how to brush, how much toothpaste to use, and how often they need to care for their teeth. Give us a call today!
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