• Published by Salsabilatuzzahra Jaha S.Psi. from BehaviorPALS Center 

The mouth is one part of the body that is in direct contact with food. Food that enters the mouth can get stuck in the mouth area when we are eating. This can cause the presence of bacteria that can harm the body. So brushing your teeth is a way to keep our mouths clean. 
Tooth brushing activities should be done from childhood. Parents are the ones who brush their children's teeth at first. Then slowly the parents will teach their children to brush their teeth independently. Here are some teeth-brushing tips for children.

Get ready to brush your teeth!

Preparing tools for toothbrushes is important so that in practice there are no mistakes. Here's what is needed in preparation before your children brush their teeth:

• Clean and disinfect the sink to be used before begin.
• Parents can wash their hands and are advised to use latex disposable gloves for preparing supplies.
• Choose a toothbrush that is suitable for children, namely a toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles.
• Choose toothpaste for children. Usually, children's toothpaste tends to have certain tastes. You can start by choosing a toothpaste flavor that your child likes.

Use the right size and the right type of toothpaste.

The use of toothpaste, of course, needs to be adjusted based on the age of the child. Here are tips for choosing toothpaste:

• Use a paste the size of a corn kernel and place it in the middle of the toothbrush bristles.
• Children under 18 months do not need to use toothpaste, they just use water to brush their teeth.
• Age 18 months to 5 years can use toothpaste with low fluoride content.
• 6 years and older can use regular toothpaste that contains at least 1000 mg of fluoride.

Brushing teeth for babies

When you brush your child's teeth who are still babies or toddlers, here are what you can do:

• Sit your baby or toddler on your lap.
• Use your hands to help your child support his body by leaning slightly.
• With child in position, gently brushes in small circles, back and forth, up and down, inside, outside, and over all teeth
• When using a baby-safe toothpaste, there is no need to spit, and it is not recommended to rinse it off. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a small amount of fluoride toothpaste left in the mouth helps strengthen teeth and prevent cavities
• Sing your child's favorite song while brushing their teeth
• Praise the children when they want to open their mouth more like "your mouth is more like a lion!"
   

Brushing teeth for older children.

For older children, they can brush their teeth on their own without the help of their parents. Usually, parents need to be intensely monitoring their children's toothbrushes until they are 7-8 years old. To practice children brushing their own teeth, things parents can do are:

• Position the child to stand in front of the sink mirror, and your position is beside them.
• Ask them to open their mouths wide.
• You can help them by supporting the child's chin.
• Praise them every time they do something good.

Brush with small circular motions!

When you teach children to brush their teeth, you can do the following instructions to make sure children brush their teeth perfectly:

• Move the brush in small circular motions to clean teeth and gum lines.
• Clean the inside of the teeth, then the outside (closest to the cheeks and the chewing surface of the teeth)
• Move the toothbrush back and forth over the tooth surface used for chewing
• Do it for 2 minutes.

After finishing brushing teeth

• Instruct your child to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.
• Prevent children from swallowing toothpaste, give instructions immediately to remove toothpaste after finishing brushing their teeth.
• It is recommended not to rinse your mouth for 30 minutes after brushing your teeth.
• Clean the toothbrush again and store it in a dry place

By Salsabilatuzzahra S.Psi from the BehaviorPALS Center

Source :

Yamaguchi, K. (2009). Healthy Smiles Family Guidelines. Beverly: Conrad & Associates, LLC. https://www.aapd.org/assets/1/7/HealthySmilesGuidebook.pdf

Queensland Gov. (2020). 6 Toothbrushing Tips For Children. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/1147117/toothbrushing-tips-children.pdf

North Carolina Child Care Program.  Brushing is Fun. https://toothtalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/0_3_guidelines_english.pdf

Toothbrushing, Children, Tips

Baby 6 Months - 18 Months / Bayi 6 - 18 Bulan / General Health / Kesehatan Umum / Health / Kesehatan / Time to Brush Your Teeth!

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