Cleaning your child’s teeth

Cleaning your child’s gums should start soon after birth. Make sure you wipe your baby’s gums after each feeding episode with a wet clean cloth. Special tooth wipes are also available for this purpose.

Once the first baby tooth erupts, clean the tooth with a soft brush or finger brush along with fluoride containing tooth-paste every morning and night. If the baby is fed at night, make sure you wipe the teeth after each feed with a moist clean cloth.

At about 6 years of age, when the permanent teeth start to erupt, do brushing along with flossing. Flossing is very important to remove the food stuck in between the teeth. Children need help with brushing till they are about 7 years of age, after which they develop enough manual dexterity to start cleaning teeth on their own.

Correct quantity of fluoride toothpaste to be used (European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 2020)

Rule of 2 for cleaning teeth

Brush and floss TWO times a day for at least TWO minutes. Visit your dentist at least TWO times a year. Don’t rush while you brush!!!!