Our rule of thumb on brushing: until kids can tie their own shoes, mom or dad need to brush for their kids. Do not let them brush on their own because they do not have the dexterity developed yet to properly clean all surfaces of their teeth. Up to this age (around age 6-8), a manual toothbrush is usually sufficient. If we see more tartar buildup on the teeth, we will recommend starting an electric toothbrush as early as 2 years old. Flossing needs to start once the teeth are tightly touching, we will let you know that at the cleaning. You can use flossers or even better, GumChucks to get into you kids little mouth.
Children 0-3 can use a “rice-grain” amount of fluoride tooth paste, which is a safe amount even if they swallow all of it. For children 3-6, it is a pea size amount. It depends on your child’s caries risk assessment whether they need fluoride under 3.
Mouth rinse is usually introduced around age 6, once they are good at swishing and spitting. ACT fluoride rinse is a good option.
After age 6, you may find the issue is your kid just is unenthused and “forgets” to brush. One way to make this healthy habit easier and more fun is to engage your child with an electric toothbrush and a brushing/coaching app. Make sure it’s a rechargeable toothbrush (not a battery powered one). Ex: Kids Sonicare or Oral B. Most of these electric toothbrushes have an app that syncs from your phone to the toothbrush to help them learn about oral care through play. Your kid’s brushing coach challenges them to brush for longer and better. It has a timer and pacer to ensure proper brushing. You can even check the app’s calendar to make sure they brush twice a day like they should! Disney also has a brushing app that you can use even with a manual toothbrush.
