That model behavior is quite effective in young children. How do I brush my child’s teeth? Usually during sort of, the hygiene routine after they’ve showered or something like that. While they’re wrapped in a towel you can stand behind them and grab the toothbrush and brush the surfaces of their teeth, like that so they’re facing forward and you’re going at the back. That way you can see the back teeth quite easily and then you can just switch the toothbrush upwards and brush the other upper teeth as well. The best way is to do little circles and not using too much pressure, make sure just doing circles that are actually the best technique and it’s softer for the gums and teeth as well. And aiming for the gums as well is just as important as aiming for the teeth too. How do I brush my child’s teeth if the child’s not letting me? Some parents find it quite difficult for them to brush their child’s teeth because they refuse. One thing you can do is popping on the child’s favorite song and making it really fun for them and trying to make it a positive experience. The other thing is that you can brush your own teeth, so parents brushing their teeth first and going oh, now it’s your turn. That model behavior is quite effective in young children.
The other thing is sometimes they just don’t like the feeling of the toothbrush in their mouth so getting them used to that is something that you can do during the day as well. So, just let them hold the toothbrush in their mouth and even if they’re just chewing it, that’s okay. As long as they’re actually getting the toothbrush in their mouth they’ll get used to it over time. Another question that we do get asked is how do I clean my baby’s teeth? The best way to clean your baby’s teeth is actually by using a piece of gauze or a cotton wipe and then, just rubbing it over the areas of the teeth. Often they don’t have that many teeth so just need to wipe the front ones forward and back. You don’t need to use toothpaste if they are very young. So if they only have a few front ones, don’t worry about using a toothbrush at this stage until they get sort of the back molar teeth, that’s when you can start using a toothbrush in their mouth as well.
