Toothbrushing Without Fussing

by Holly McDonald

Did you know that children as young as nine months of age can get tooth decay? Early childhood tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of children younger than six years old. In B.C., the combined yearly cost to the private and public sector is more than $10 million to treat tooth decay in young children less than four years of age. Tooth decay can affect a child’s overall health by making it difficult to eat and sleep due to tooth pain or infection. Thank goodness, tooth decay can be prevented.

We, as parents, give the decay-causing germs to our children. Babies are not born with the germs that cause tooth decay. To reduce the risk of transferring the germs to your baby, avoid putting baby’s soother, spoon or food in your mouth. If you have untreated tooth decay, see a dentist so your baby will have a better chance to have healthy teeth.

Take your child to see a dentist or dental professional at about one year old, or six months after your child’s first tooth appears. Take your child earlier if you notice problems before this time.

The first step to raising cavity-free children is for parents to help with tooth brushing every day. Begin brushing baby’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth appears. Brush twice a day, in the morning and at night before going to bed.

Children do not have the coordination to do a good brushing job until they are about eight years old (or can write, not print, their name).

Sometimes brushing the teeth of young children can be challenging. But just like buckling them into a car seat, tooth brushing is something that must be done.


Some tips to encourage cooperation when brushing children’s teeth:

• Choose a time when they are not tired so it’s easier for them to cooperate.

• If a power struggle occurs, try again later.

• Find a comfortable position for you and your child. It is often easier to brush a baby’s teeth when they are lying with their head in your lap facing away from you. A toddler can lie on the floor, couch or bed between your legs with their head in your lap. You’ll be able to see the teeth better, too.

• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles that fits easily into the child’s mouth—a baby- or child-size toothbrush.

• Use toothpaste that contains fluoride. Fluoride strengthens the tooth and helps prevent tooth decay. Victoria and most communities on Vancouver Island do not have fluoride added to their water supply. Some “baby toothpastes” do not contain fluoride and are not recommended. Children do not need special adult ingredients such as whitening or tartar control in their toothpaste.

• Use the correct amount of fluoride toothpaste—a smear for babies, and a pea-sized amount for older children. It is OK if baby swallows a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste. Encourage an older child to spit out during brushing.

• Gently pull the child’s lips up or down to see the teeth. Look closely along the gum line. If you notice any white or brown spots on your child’s teeth, call a dentist or dental professional for an appointment right away. These spots could be the start of tooth decay.

• Wiggle the bristles back and forth at an angle along the gum line so the bristles are touching both the gum and the tooth. Brush the inside, outside and chewing surfaces of the teeth.

• Make a game of brushing. Play “Guess what I see on your teeth,” ask them to open as big as a lion, or make up a story as you brush.

• Have them brush their favourite doll’s teeth first. Or let them brush their own teeth first and then you help them get the spots they missed.

• Singing as you brush can help distract them. For example, to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat sing: “Brush, brush, brush your teeth, morning and at night, merrily, merrily merrily, merrily, till they’re clean and bright.”

• Be a good role model. Let your children see you brushing and flossing your teeth. They will want to copy.

• Don’t give up! Give lots of praise. Be patient and relaxed and eventually tooth brushing will become routine and fun.

For more information contact the Vancouver Island Health Authority Prevention Services Dental Program in your area or the B.C. Dental Hygienist’s Association website at www.bcdha.bc.ca.

Holly McDonald is a Registered Dental Hygienist with the Vancouver Island Health Authority.