Did you know that it is recommended for parents to help their children brush their teeth until their child is at least 7-8 years old? You may say "Wow! We still need to help them even when they are that old?" The key thing here isn't only the age, but how well is your child brushing their teeth? Every child is different. We have seen 5 year old children who are perfect brushers, and we have seen some 10 year old children who still need that extra help. What matters the most is what to look for as you're helping your child brush in order to help guide them towards better brushing on their own.
Here are our tips to help you brush with your child:
- Each tooth has 3 "sides" that need to be brushed: the cheek side, the tongue side, and the biting surface. For the front teeth, you would brush the lips side, the tongue side, and the biting surface.
- Look at the area where the gums touch the tooth, are there a lot of white/yellow food particles stuck there? This is what we call plaque! It is important to help your child brush these areas to prevent cavities.
- The areas where plaque likes to stick the most are the cheek sides of the upper teeth and the tongue sides of the lower teeth. With the cheeks and tongue squishing against those sides of the teeth, it's hard for your child to brush there, so spend extra time checking these spots!
- Divide the mouth into 4 different sections - upper right, upper left, lower left, lower right. Spend 30 seconds brushing each section, which will equal a total of 2 minutes of brushing!
- Don't forget to brush the tongue! If the tongue remains white and coated over time, this can be a cause of stinky breath!
- Over time, as you work with your child to brush their teeth, they will know what to look for when they are brushing. They can brush on their own first, then you as the parent can check their brushing and help remind them of any places they have missed. Then before you know it, they'll be able to brush super well on their own!
- As a rule of thumb, children are usually able to brush their teeth on their own once they know how to tie their own shoelaces. This demonstrates that they have enough hand motor skills in order to brush their teeth effectively!
We hope these tips help you and your child become a better brushing team together!
