Parents should help kids brush until around 8 years old

“Have you brushed your teeth?” is a question asked by every parent, usually every day. Teaching children to brush their teeth is a very important life skill, and it is much easier to start good habits early. It’s never too early to start thinking about this, since kids usually have all of their 20 baby teeth by age 3.

Tooth decay can develop as soon as teeth are present, and because the enamel in baby teeth is thinner than permanent teeth, children's teeth are quite susceptible to cavities. It might seem obvious that younger, pre-school and below aged children need help brushing, but it's still important for parents to occasionally brush their kids teeth until they are around 8 years old. 

Are baby teeth actually important if they fall out anyway?

Baby teeth are more important than you might think. Not only do they help children chew their food, but they have an essential role in helping adult teeth to erupt in the right position. Premature baby tooth loss can cause adult tooth crowding and can even contribute to other types of orthodontic problems.

But, it’s important to say that encouraging your young children to brush their teeth is not enough. Most children learn best by being shown, so supervising and helping them with their oral hygiene is essential.

Brushing should be a joy, not a chore...

Many adults recognise that while brushing your teeth is not the most exciting task, it's necessary to ensure life long oral health. Now imagine what it’s like for a young child that doesn’t quite understand how important it is not just for now, but for the future. It's difficult to expect young children to understand why oral health is important, so occasionally lazy brushing habits can develop.

Young children are often still developing enough manual dexterity to brush their teeth well. This improves as children mature, but just like learning to walk, throwing or catching a ball, or learning to write it is a skill that must be practiced.

For very young children, it's also very important to supervise the amount of toothpaste that is used. Usually, children’s toothpaste tastes nice, which is useful to encourage oral hygiene -- but swallowing too much tooth paste can be harmful.

Helping young children learn good oral hygiene habits is very important for life long oral health. This includes supervising, and helping them brush until they are around 8 years old.

Leading by example

It's important to remember is that children learn by copying behaviour. So, telling them to brush their teeth frequently isn't as effective if they don’t see you doing it too. One common piece of advice we give to parents of young children, is to make oral hygiene a family activity and brush everyones teeth together.

Also, it is recommended that you take your kids for 6 monthly checkups, not only to make sure everything is okay and that the teeth are where they are supposed to be, but also so they learn that visiting the dentist is a positive, encouraging and self-affirming part of a healthy life.

If you would like to find a home for your family's oral health, we take special care with ensuring visiting the dentist is fun. Book a consultation with Dr Kate Amos or Dr Sam Rosehill at Ethical Dental on 6652 3185 or book online.