Baby teeth aren’t as strong as adult teeth, which means they can decay more easily.  The good news is that decay is preventable so with regular brushing and a good diet your little one can have gnashers to be proud of.

As part of our Baby Teeth blog series we’ll give you the key facts you need, along with some top tips, to take good care of your baby’s teeth.  

When & how often

Baby teeth need to be brushed as soon as they start to appear through the gum.

Twice a day... but why we hear you say? Tooth decay is caused by the bacteria that live naturally in our mouths. These bugs love to set up home and multiply on any bit of tooth they can find.  Once they’ve done this we can feel a white, sticky plaque on our teeth (when teeth are clean they feel shiny and smooth). 

This is why brushing is so important, even for little ones. It removes the sticky white goo and stops the bugs that cause decay from getting a foothold.  Brushing teeth twice a day (once at night and whenever else works for you) will keep these bugs at bay.

How to brush baby teeth?

The short answer is whatever way works, but in truth brushing can be a struggle.  Often little ones will push the brush away when you approach them and it becomes a bit of a battle.  Don’t lose heart, here's one way to try 

1. Put a smear of toothpaste on the brush and get it ready on your bedside table. 
2. Sit on a bed with your child in front of you, facing away from you.
3. Tip your child back onto your lap so that their head rests on the top of your thighs.  Now when you look down you are looking straight into their face and can reassure them.
4. Use one hand on their chin to, gently but firmly, open their mouth. 
5. Hold their mouth open with your thumb inside their bottom teeth and your first finger holding the lower lip out of the way. 
6. With your free hand hold the toothbrush and brush the teeth.
7. Make sure that you brush all around the inside and outside of the teeth, top and bottom and  get right to the back.    
8. Bring your little one back up to a sitting position.  They can spit out into a cup or bowl if they need (it’s better not to rinse away the toothpaste)
9. That’s it!

You’re done!