Oral health advice for children

The guidance below is from “Delivering better oral health”

This is an evidence based toolkit to support patients in improving their oral and general health.

Brushing

Guidelines for brushing your child’s teeth:

Brushing:

  • brushing should start as soon as the first baby tooth erupts
  • brushing should occur twice daily as a minimum
  • clean teeth last thing at night before bed and at least one other time each day

Toothpaste:

  • children under three years should use a toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm fluoride
  • children under three years should use no more than a smear of toothpaste (a thin
    film of paste covering less than threequarters of the brush) 
  • family fluoride toothpaste (1,350-1,500ppm fluoride) is indicated all children except those who cannot be prevented from eating toothpaste
  • children between three and six years should use no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste

Supervision:

  • children need to be helped or supervised by an adult when brushing until at least
    seven years of age and must not be permitted to eat or lick toothpaste from the tube
  • rinsing with lots of water after brushing should be discouraged – spitting out excess toothpaste is preferable

Under 3 years

Children under 3 years should use only a smear of toothpaste

Aged 3-6 years

Children aged 3-6 years should use only a pea-sized blob of toothpaste

Contact us

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.