Tag Archive for: teeth

Brushing Children's Teeth – A Guide for Parents

As promised in our Guide to Teething last month, this next guide is all about brushing teeth — specifically for for babies, toddlers and young children. Regular brushing of teeth is an essential habit for young children to get into. Doing so will protect their teeth and oral health as they grow older.

Studies suggest that brushing teeth twice a day, for at least 2 minutes, may even reduce the risk of poor heart health.

When Should You Start Brushing Children’s Teeth?

Babies' teeth should be brushed as soon as they first appear through the gumsParents, guardians or carers should start brushing children’s teeth the moment teeth first appear, even when it’s only one or two teeth initially showing through. This is typically around the age of six to ten months when, for most babies, the lower incisors are first to appear. It varies enormously, though, with some babies even being born with one or more teeth. For teething babies, of course, you need to be more gentle with brushing than you would be for an older child, because their gums will probably be sore. Hence, there are some guidelines to follow in that regard. That’s exactly where this article comes in as we explain the accepted best practice for brushing infant teeth.

How Much Toothpaste Should Babies, Toddlers & Children Use?

Check toothpaste labels carefully to ensure you are using the right toothpaste.

Toothpaste containing at least 1,000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride or ‘family toothpaste’ containing 1,350 to 1,500ppm is suitable for babies and children up to 6 years of age.

  • For babies and children up to 3 years old, use just a smear.
  • For children between 3 and 6 years old, use a pea-sized amount on the brush.

Children 7 years old or more should also use a pea-sized amount, using toothpaste containing 1,350 to 1,500ppm of fluoride.

What’s the Best Way to Brush a Baby’s Teeth?

The NHS suggests that parents sit the baby on their lap, facing away from them towards a mirror (this is so that the child can learn from what the parent is showing them). The baby’s head can rest against you so that it’s kept stable during brushing.

Using the recommended toothpaste suggested in the section above, parents can apply just a smear of toothpaste to either a small tooth brush, finger brush or piece of clean gauze wrapped around a finger (whichever suits best). Then, this can be applied to the baby’s teeth using small, gentle, circular motions to both teeth and surrounding gums.

The baby will soon learn from watching this and will, in time, begin to try it themselves. The parent can help by guiding the child’s hand when this occurs.

As only a smear of toothpaste has been used, the baby does not need to spit it out and indeed, not rinsing will protect the teeth even further.

What About Teeth Brushing for Children Over 3?

Ensure that children find brushing teeth a fun activityThe same general approach can be used for children aged 3 or over, except toddlers may stand, so long as their head can still rest against you so that it’s kept stable and relatively still while brushing takes place. As mentioned in the preceding section, a pea-sized amount of toothpaste can be used for this age group.

The child can spit out superfluous foam after brushing, but does not need to rinse. As before, this is because retaining a covering of fluoride will continue to protect the teeth for longer.

From the age of about 7, children will generally be capable of brushing their teeth themselves, unaided.

Tips to Protect Children’s Teeth from Decay

There are many tips around keeping children's teeth safe from decayAs well as regular brushing of teeth and dentist check-ups, there are many additional measures that can protect children’s teeth. These really all come down to one thing; avoiding added sugar. So …

  • Check ingredients of what your baby or child is eating and drinking. Avoid anything that has added sugars, including baby foods.
  • There are many kinds of sugar so check labels carefully. Sugar can come in many forms including raw, cane or brown sugar, glucose, dextrose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, molasses, hydrolysed starch, inverted sugar syrup and Muscovado sugar, to name just a few.
  • Avoid sugary drinks. Young children should stick mainly to water or milk. While milk does contain an element of natural sugar, it’s less likely to cause harm to teeth than man-made or added sugars.
  • If you give little ones fruit juice, dilute it. 10 part of water to 1 part of pure fruit juice is a good ratio.
  • Limit fruit juice intake to 150ml per day maximum if you do not dilute it, making up the rest of their daily drink intake with milk and/or water.
  • Children’s teeth should be brushed ideally immediately after eating or drinking anything sugary. This is to remove sugar and avoid build-up of plaque. In the case of fruit juice, brushing after drinking will remove acid found in the juice, as this can otherwise also harm teeth.
  • Avoid giving children sweets and biscuits except, perhaps, for very occasional special treats. Otherwise they’ll get a ‘sweet tooth’ and it could become a habit, potentially harming their teeth and health.
  • Consider sugar-free medicines if you do need to give your child medicine at any point.
  • Free-flowing, open drinking vessels such as beakers are less likely to ‘bathe’ teeth in sugary drink compared to bottles or valved bottles, thereby reducing the possibility of tooth decay. Learn more about those in the ‘Health & Safety First’ section below.

When Should Children Start Going to the Dentist?

Children should regularly visit the dentist for check-ups, so it’s a good idea to start them early, so that it becomes a normal routine. Children need to appreciate that teeth brushing is important to teeth, oral hygiene and potentially to overall health. Visiting the dentist is recommended in case there is a problem of some kind and also to highlight whether teeth are being brushed optimally at home. If not, a good dentist will be able to point children and parents in the right direction.

It’s important for a dentist visit to be a pleasant, stress-free experience, so be sure to hide any anxiety you may have about dentists as a parent, otherwise this anxiety can be passed onto the child going forwards.

Health & Safety First!

Getting children used to brushing teeth twice a day in their early years sets up a good habit as they grow upThe more obvious additional health and safety concerns include the following:

  • For their own safety, babies and little ones need to be supervised at all times when brushing teeth.
  • In the interests of safety, children must never be allowed to play with toothbrushes or toothpaste nor to run around with them (particularly in their mouths!).
  • Do not allow babies or children to eat of swallow toothpaste, nor to lick the tube.
  • Once babies start to phase out bottled milk (usually weaning off them from the age of around 6 months), bottles with ‘no-spill’ valves and spouted drinking cups and ‘sippy cups’ should be avoided, according to many dentists, orthodontists, speech therapists and healthcare professionals. This is to avoid a whole raft of potential problems including crooked teeth, tooth decay and potential speech issues.

“As oral health professionals at GOSH, we encourage children to move to an open cup as soon as possible to reduce the risk of dental [cavities] which are often connected to bottles or ‘sippy’ cups.” (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children).

Clean Teeth for Healthy Kids

Keeping children’s teeth clean and free of plaque will help to keep teeth, gums and oral health in good shape. Starting early will also encourage kids to get into a good teeth cleaning habit from a young age and be more likely to carry that on into adulthood. Children with good teeth, healthy gums and fresher breath will generally feel more good about themselves, boosting self-confidence and self-image. Amazingly, recent studies even suggest that brushing teeth twice a day, for at least 2 minutes, may even reduce the risk of poor heart health.1

Our Nursery in Willesden, near Harlesden & Kensal Green

Treetops Nursery, WillesdenThis guide was brought to you by the childcare team at Treetops Nursery in Willesden, near Willesden Green, Kensal Green and Harlesden. If you’re looking for nurseries in those areas, around London NW10, we’d love to show you and your little one around so that you can see the setting in action for yourselves. To learn more about a possible place for your child, contact us using your preferred method below, while spaces are available:

A Complete Guide to Teething

Babies can get tearful when teethingIn this, the first of two new posts relating to the very youngest of children, we’re looking at teething, including when it usually happens and what to do about it as a parent or carer. Teething can be stressful for parents and a painful time for babies, so it’s important to read the signs correctly and act accordingly.

Teeth in Humans

Let’s start at the beginning. Humans usually have two sets of teeth during their lives:

  • First, children get their Milk Teeth at a very early age (more details follow below). These are also sometimes referred to as Baby Teeth, Primary Teeth or Deciduous Teeth. We’ll stick with Milk Teeth for the purpose of this article.
  • Later, on average by the age of twelve, come the more permanent adult teeth. These are known as the Permanent Teeth or Secondary Teeth. We’ll refer to them simply as adult teeth in this article.

Fun fact: some reptiles grow thousands of new teeth in their lifetimes. Not so for humans, though!

Apart from their two sets of teeth, humans do not ‘grow’ further teeth as they are lost or fall out. This is common to most mammals.

Milk Teeth

The lower central incisors appear firstMost babies are born with no teeth showing at all. However, there are exceptions and it’s reasonably common to be born with one or more milk teeth already visible. In total, babies will have a total of 20 milk teeth; 10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower. These are already there at birth as they will have grown during the embryonic stage. However, they are hidden within the gums in most cases.

Teething

On average, babies’ teeth start to ‘erupt’ (protrude through the gums) at the age of about 6 months. The process of erupting is known as teething. The order of appearance of milk teeth usually goes something like this:

Age c. 6-10 monthsThe lower central incisors appear
Age c. 8-12 monthsThe upper central incisors appear
Age c. 9-13 monthsThe top lateral incisors appear
Age c. 10-16 monthsThe bottom lateral incisors appear
Age c. 13-19 monthsThe 1st upper molars appear
Age c. 14-18 monthsThe 1st lower molars appear
Age c. 16-22 monthsThe upper canines appear
Age c. 17-23 monthsThe lower canines appear
Age c. 23-31 monthsThe lower 2nd molars appear
Age c. 25-33 monthsThe upper 2nd molars appear

The milk teeth have usually all appeared through the gums by the age of 2½ to 3 although, as with everything, some cases may differ.

Teething lasts for about 8 days for each of the teeth erupting. Half of that is before the tooth appears and the other half is once it’s first appeared through the gum. In between, a bluey-grey colouration may be visible on the gum where the tooth is about to erupt. This is known as an ‘eruption cyst’ and is quite normal, usually disappearing on its own. As the largest of the teeth, molars tend to cause the most discomfort for babies/toddlers when coming through.

Symptoms of Teething

Babies often chew their hands when teethingTeething can cause babies pain and discomfort during the 8 days in which each tooth moves from under the gum to erupting through it. Apart from the obvious signs of the tooth erupting and perhaps a bluey-grey eruption cyst colouration in the gums, symptoms of teething include:

  • drooling (dribbling);
  • sore-looking gums where teeth are moving to the surface;
  • possible flushing of the cheeks;
  • a tendency for the baby to chew things more than usual (including biting their own hands, toys etc.);
  • the baby may also rub their ears;
  • the baby might be more tearful than usual.

If you are at all concerned about the health and wellbeing of your child, consult a doctor or call the NHS on 111

How to Help Babies Through Teething

Games can help to distract babies & toddlers from discomfort caused by teethingThere are a number of ways parents and carers can help babies and toddlers through their teething. One or more of the following may help:

  • Teething rings are available commercially and little ones may find some comfort from chewing on them. At the very minimum, they will distract from any pain and discomfort. Some may suggest cooling the rings in the fridge (never the freezer) but it’s important to follow instructions and keep safety considerations to the fore at all times — for example never tie a teething ring around a child’s neck.
  • Once they reach the age of 6 months or more, try giving them healthy fruit like apple or carrot pieces to chew on. The NHS also suggests breadsticks and crusts of bread but they should only chew any of these things under close adult supervision, to ensure that they are staying safe and not choking.
  • Distraction can also be a useful tactic, so playing with your baby/toddler or comforting them will help.
  • Using a clean finger, gently massaging their gums can also be of some comfort.
  • Also ensure that you wipe your child’s face if they have been drooling. This will help to prevent rashes and soreness.

An Important Word About Teething Gels

Babies often chew toys when they're teethingAccording to the NHS, there is no evidence that commercially-available teething gels (including homeopathic ones) are effective, so they recommend that non-medical options like those above should be tried first.

However, they say that should parents/carers decide to try teething gels anyway, they should ensure that they are specifically made for young children and are licensed for use in the UK. Teething gels should really be purchased through pharmacies (ideally not the Internet*), who may be able to give further advice. The NHS also states that, “General oral pain relief gels are not suitable for children”.

* The NHS states that:

“Some unlicensed homeopathic gels advertised on the internet have been linked to serious side effects.”

More information on the NHS warnings is available here.

Teeth Brushing & Registering with a Dentist

As soon as the first tooth has come through, parents or carers should begin to the process of regularly brushing and should also register the child with a local dentist. It is quite a big topic in itself, so we have written a separate guide all about brushing children’s teeth (here).

Shedding Milk Teeth

The front central incisors are usually the first milk teeth to fall outWhen the time is right (usually by the age of 6) the milk teeth will start to shed. Normally, this is done in a particular order: first the two lower front teeth and the two upper front teeth will fall out (these are called the central incisors). Next to fall are the lateral incisors, then the first molars, the canines and finally the second molars.

By the age of twelve, most people will have shed all of their milk teeth although some people retain one or more right into adulthood (usually a molar if so). Adults have a total of 32 adult teeth, comprising 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars (4 of which are the Wisdom Teeth). Each of these has a particular shape and function, although we’ll not delve further in view this article is primarily about infant teeth. It’s worth noting, however, that adult teeth are less white than milk teeth as they have thicker enamel and the ‘dentin’ layer beneath it is yellow in colour.

We hope this guide to teething has been useful to you and look forward to following up with more articles and guides in the near future. Perhaps bookmark this article or our main blog page and feel free to share on social media (share buttons can be found below this article).

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If you are looking for nurseries in Willesden, or near Willesden Green, Kensal Green or Harlesden around the London NW10 area, we might be able to help. Treetops Nursery offers high quality childcare for babies, toddlers and under-fives in Doyle Gardens in Willesden, London NW10. We’ll be happy to discuss a nursery place for your baby or child while a few places are still available. Please choose a contact method below if this is of interest: