The most important points with tooth brushing for children are:
- Brushing twice per day (morning and evening).
- Brushing for 3 minutes. (If you can play music in the bathroom then maybe time brushing by playing your favourite song, on a mobile phone perhaps. If you have a smart phone, you could try using Aquafresh’s Brush Time App – available for Apple iOS and Google Android.
- Using a normal family fluoridated toothpaste.
Following these 3 points is usually enough for children.
Those who are managing the 3 points above, as a bonus step can think about brushing in circle movements to help clean even better.
Fluoride has been proven to reduce dental decay. Places with fluoride in the water have much less of a problem with decay in children’s teeth. Despite the advice and wishes of dentists, the water supply in the Northwest is not fluoridated.
The Northwest has one of the highest rates of decay in children’s teeth in the country.
To help protect your children’s teeth use a toothpaste with 1450ppm of fluoride. Some children’s toothpaste only has 1000ppm of fluoride so either check on the back or just buy normal family toothpaste from popular brands such as Colgate and Aquafresh rather than buying specific children’s toothpaste.