Healthy Body
Hygiene - Tooth Brushing
(article brought to you by Medibank)
TOOTH BRUSHING
Regular tooth brushing helps keep teeth clean and prevents decay. Children ideally need to brush their teeth three times a day, after eating and always before going to bed.
If it is not possible for children to clean their teeth after lunch, they can be taught to rinse their mouths with water, swishing it around and about.
Avoiding sticky or sugary foods or food that clings to the teeth may help control tooth decay to some extent but the primary method of prevention is regular tooth brushing.
Tooth brushing is a learned task for children. If they see their parents brushing their teeth on a regular basis they will see it as a desired activity and will eventually accept it as a normal part of life.
While children are still young, parents will need to do it for them. While as adults we take the motor skills for granted, young children are just developing these motor skills, and until the age of six it is not only difficult, but extremely cumbersome for them to brush their teeth.
This does not mean that you cannot teach them to brush their teeth, but constant supervision is required. It is important to teach them the proper way to brush.
There are a number of things that will help in training children to brush their teeth.
• Let the child practice on you and you will find out how your instructions have been interpreted! Then, you can brush their teeth, and your child can inspect your mouth and you can inspect the child’s mouth
• The tasks can be made more attractive by encouraging children to select their own toothbrush and toothpaste. It might be a good idea to begin by using flavoured child-friendly toothpaste. Toothpastes sold over the counter are all adequate for brushing your child’s teeth.While some make your breath smell nice, whiten your teeth, all toothpastes on the market will be effective if you use them regularly.
• Show the child how to put a little toothpaste on the toothbrush and from behind them or beside them with your arm around his or her neck, you and the child brush away
• Start with the upper and lower molars, using a circular motion. Focusing most of the tooth brushing on the upper and lower back (molars) is a sound procedure. This is because we chew predominantly with those teeth and where most decay occurs in children
• A three-minute timer is a wonderful device to help children learn to brush their teeth. Of the three minutes, the first two minutes should be used on the upper and lower back part of the teeth. You will need one minute on the inside and outside of the front teeth. It takes three minutes to keep a small mouth clear of plaque and other dental problems
• Show children how to rinse thoroughly, swishing the water around in their mouths. Three swishings help get all the toothpaste out along with bits of food or anything else that might be still hanging around.
After children are able to brush their teeth, the use of a motorized toothbrush is highly recommended. It can continue to make brushing the teeth fun and greatly help with coverage. They will still need to brush for 3 minutes.
It is now recommended that prior to brushing, floss is used on the teeth. Unfortunately, most children do not have the dexterity until after the age of 11 to floss their teeth. This is something that a parent will have to attend to. One way to do it is to kneel in front, or beside your child, and by using a floss holder, or floss between your hands, gently floss the child’s teeth. After the dental floss is put in, a minimum of three or four movements back and forth is recommended. For children, waxed floss varieties or flavoured mint dental floss might be worth considering.
Lastly, but most importantly, when tooth brushing is over, praise for a job well done can increase the likelihood that children will develop regular tooth brushing habits. Check their teeth for cleanliness, and congratulate them on doing an excellent job.
For more information on hygiene for children, please visit Wiggle into Health (wiggleintohealth.com ). Information provided courtesy of Medibank Private & The Wiggles.
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