Is brushing your child’s teeth the most dreaded task of your day? 

Introducing a dental hygiene routine to your kids can be an intimidating job involving a lot of kicking, screaming, and crying. The face is a personal area and it’s normal for new sensations to scare the child. But there are ways to make it a less painful activity.

‍Pre-teeth routine:

Use a soft wet cloth or your finger to clean your infant’s mouth every day before they even get their first tooth. This is not only important for hygiene purposes but also to get them used to the feeling of getting their mouth cleaned.

‍Choosing the right toothbrush:

Start using a toothbrush as soon as the first tooth erupts. Buy a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head and a comfortable handle. You can involve your toddler in the buying process by giving them options in color. This will make them feel part of the ‘brushing squad’ and get them excited about the activity itself. 

Familiarize them with the tools:

Let your toddler play with a little toothbrush (supervised, of course), explore its surface, and get used to its touch on their hands before moving to their mouth. You can also cover the surface of the toothbrush and toothpaste with their favorite stickers to get them to respond positively to it.

Using toothpaste:

Pediatric dentists recommend starting the use of toothpaste once the kid starts eating solids. For kids below the age of 3, parents should smear a rice-sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush and for kids above the age of three, a pea-sized amount is enough. There are various ways to teach them to spit toothpaste. For example, first by practicing blowing a candle or blowing on a dandelion, using whistles, or blowing bubbles. Make the ‘puh’ sound to teach them to spit and ask them to obverse while you do it. Practice with plain water first in the bath and later upgrade to a sink. Before they master spitting, use a cotton cloth to wipe away the toothpaste for their teeth after brushing.

Steps To Brush An Infant’s Teeth

1. Distraction - Firstly, shift their focus away from the activity. Give them a spare toothbrush or other toys to play with, sing a song, act silly, or tell a story to keep them engaged.
2. Position - Next, find a comfortable position. It is easier for parents to see what they are doing by making the child lie down in their lap and then brush their teeth. Parents could also make kids sit on a high chair, stand behind them, and have kids lean their heads back for brushing. Support the kids’ heads on your body.
3. Duration - Spend about 3 to 5 secs on each tooth. If the child gets irritable, then take breaks between brushing a few teeth. 

Independence:

It’s important to eventually teach them to brush their own teeth. Start with one time a day (preferably morning), giving them the freedom to brush their own teeth before you do it properly for them again. The more you involve them in the process the more willing they’ll be to learn. You can do this by giving them a choice between a blue or a green toothbrush, a mint or chocolate toothpaste, etc. Don’t forget to praise them after a job well done! While it may initially seem that you might never be able to inculcate the habit of brushing teeth daily in your kids, it will get better eventually. Don’t let their crying discourage you!

Sing-Along Poems:

And finally, to make the activity more fun and entertaining, you can sing or play certain poems like:

‍Here’s my toothpaste

Here’s my brush

I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.

Working hard to keep teeth clean

Front and back and in between

When I brush for quite a while

I will have a happy smile.

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Up and down and round and round

I brush my teeth to keep them sound;

To keep them sound and clean and white

I brush them morning, noon and night.

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