Booklet - Oral Health Care for your Children

Brushing Your Child’s Teeth To effectively clean your child’s teeth, it is important to use a correct toothbrushing method. It is best to follow a sequence during brushing: Brush the outer surfaces of the teeth Then, brush the inner surfaces of the teeth Lastly, brush the chewing surfaces of all molars Parents should allow their children to learn to brush the teeth on their own when they are 2 years old. Parents should get their children a new toothbrush, with the length of the head measuring the diameter of a 20-cent coin, when their children are between 2 - 6 years old. If your child knows how to spit out, you can let your child brush his/her teeth with a pea-sized blob of children’s fluoride toothpaste in the morning and before bed at night. Since your child’s fine motor skill is not yet well-developed, he/she might not be able to master the toothbrushing skill and you need to follow up by re-brushing his/her teeth thoroughly every night. When brushing the child’s teeth, mother stands behind him/her at the side. When you brush your child’s teeth, you can stand behind him/her at the side and tilt his/her head slightly upwards by holding the chin with one hand.