How to teach them to brush their teeth?

Brushing your teeth minimum twice a day is sacred to eliminate bacteria and avoid the appearance of cavities. It is therefore essential for children to take this habit from an early age. We help you teach them this everyday gesture.

Having good oral hygiene is essential, as soon as the first teeth appear. At first, the parents will of course take care of performing this step. But from the age of 3, children acquired enough dexterity to brush their teeth themselves with simple movements, always on the supervision of a parent. It is only from the age of 10 that they are able to reproduce more complicated techniques. The help of an adult is therefore always welcome, at any age: children have trouble reaching certain areas, such as the back of the mouth, they must be guided.

Brushing your teeth is learned!

To forget no tooth, the child must brush them one by one every day and in the same order. We advise to start with the outer face of the teeth and to clean the most difficult to access places, in the bottom of the mouth, and then clean the inner face of the tooth. Start with the top of the tooth and finish with the underside, towards the root. Children from 8 to 10 years old can make a rotation movement with a manual brush. The brushes’ hairs are then well between the teeth and clean them in depth.

2 applications for perfect timing

For fun brushing, it is possible to install several applications dedicated to oral hygiene on your smartphone. They will allow you to calculate the brushing time or tell you when you have to change your brush.

The applications that will appeal to them:

• Ben Le Koala (on Apple): Different 2 -minute videos are offered. On the program: how to properly brush your teeth, all in music.
• Disney Magic Timer: For Disney fans. The child is represented by a cartoon character and combines points when he brushes his teeth well. These awards can be used to play different games on the application.

How long do we brush?

For good dental hygiene, a child must brush their teeth 2 times a day for 2 minutes minimum, each time, 6 seconds per tooth. The 2 -minute rule applies as much for children as for adults. If your child has a dental apparatus, brushing must last longer; Ask his orthodontist.

When should you brush your teeth?

As for what is the best time to brush your teeth, 2 choices are available to you in the morning. No solution to favor, it is what best suits you according to your morning organization.

• At raising and before breakfast because saliva production is lower during the night and less renewed. It is therefore at this point that bacteria develop. It is also interesting to apply a dose of fluorine (present in toothpaste) on the teeth before eating because it has a protective effect.
• After breakfast to make the residue of sweet foods disappear which can cause cavities. If you have eaten acidic food (especially fruit or fruit juice), it is good to wait a few tens of minutes before brushing. If the acid substances are cleaned just after a meal, they will more easily impact the enamel of the teeth. So we let the saliva rinse the acids and continue its morning routine later with a brushing of teeth.

In the evening, the perfect time to brush their teeth is just before bedtime.

The perfect toothbrush?

For toddlers, we will go to a manual toothbrush with:

• A little head
• Soft hair of equal length (if the hairs are hard, this can cause damage to the teeth and gums)
• A straight rod

We use a hazelnut of toothpaste and we do not forget to change brush every 3 months. Some dentists advise to start with sweet electric toothbrushes, even from 3 years old.

Foods to favor

For healthy teeth, we favor foods rich in calcium, to strengthen enamel. They are found in dairy products (milk, cheese, plain yogurt), almonds, broccoli, dry beans or nuts. Conversely, we avoid repeated sweet foods such as chocolate, candies, sugary drinks (juice, sodas, etc.).

Small dental lexicon

In addition to good dental hygiene, from 3 years old, we go to his dentist every year, especially if your child already has his 20 milk teeth. Before the appointment, you could already explain a few keywords to him:

• Enamel: The hard and transparent layer that protects the teeth from attacks.
• Dental plaque: The layer of bacteria that naturally settles on the teeth after taking a meal or a drink.
• Tartar: Dental plaque with yellow or brown color.
• Carie: It occurs when bacteria in the mouth transform sugars into acids. It is these acids that affect the teeth. With bad brushing, they do not disappear.
• Dental fluoride: The natural substance that protects teeth from aggressive acids and prevents cavities. Make sure your toothpaste contains it.

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