Well done, you have survived a full year since you brought your bundle of joy to life. Give yourself a pat on the back, that first year is one of the hardest but we are certain you did an amazing job. You should be very proud of yourself 😊 Up to this point, you should have been using a soft towelette and warm water/fluoride free toothpaste to care for your infant’s teeth and gums.
Now that they are past 12 months and likely have some small chompers (if they are yet to have any teeth don't panic, continue with the infant steps), and are a toddler here are some tips to making sure your child is appropriately introduced to dental hygiene. Here come the memories of you introducing them to their first manual toothbrush, try and hold back the tears you big softie!
Remember, you should be helping them brush their teeth twice daily, ideally first thing in the morning and last thing before bedtime. This is important for routine and to establish this healthy habit for the rest of their life. You might like to try the following routine when helping them brush their teeth.
- Position yourself behind your child to help them feel safe and secure. You can do this either standing or sitting. Try and utilise a mirror for this so they can watch what you’re doing and create a visual memory of your process. If they make a funny face at you, make an even funnier one back and hope your partner is not watching.
- Show them how you put toothpaste on the toothbrush so they can see that it is a vital step to this activity. If your child is between 12-18m, continue to use a “smear” (grain of rice) amount of fluoride-free toothpaste. If your child is 18m+, you can start to introduce them to BumblCo's™ fun and exciting range of age-appropriate fluoride toothpaste! They will love it!
- Support your toddler’s chin with one hand whilst helping them rest their head on your chest. Hold the toothbrush in the other hand and slowly bring it up to their mouth so they can clearly see what you are doing. Wet the toothbrush lightly and make sure you switch off the tap whilst brushing! Show them the importance of saving water. Remember, we are here to help healthy habits 😊
- Make sure to angle the toothbrush towards the ‘WINK’ of the tooth whilst brushing. This is where the tooth and the gum meet; where white meets pink (WINK). Be honest, you love that 😉. Continue to complete small and gentle circular motions on all their teeth.
- Make sure you follow the ‘WINK’ technique on all surfaces of their teeth.
- Gently brush their tongue with the bristles. Make sure you don’t make your way too far back or you will make them gag and they may want to stop. And if they do, we hope they don’t make a mess of a perfectly clean pair of PJ’s.
- If your toddler is capable of spitting, have them spit all the remaining toothpaste into the sink and rinse with water. Proceed to clean up their spit because they love missing the sink.
- Rinse the toothbrush under tap water and store it upright in an open container to allow it to air-dry. Or if you have one of those suction cup ones that stick to the mirror, wait until your child has left the bathroom, then stand 5 feet back and try to make it stick to to the mirror first go. If you miss and break something, I had nothing to do with this.
And there you have it! At first this may seem like a few too many steps but you have educated your toddler on many things important about brushing their teeth. The more you do this, the easier it will become as they get familiar with the process.
Every toddler is different and may require unique approaches to keep them engaged. Here are some ideas to making brushing fun for them (and you!)
- Bring out the John Legend or Beyonce in you and sing to them whilst brushing! You could try “this is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth”.
- Pretend the toothbrush is a train, fire truck, or even a superhero! You could try saying something like “Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Chugga Chugga” as your move the brush around their teeth.
- You could also let them play with their favourite toy whilst you are brushing their teeth.
So… Which toothbrush should you be using you ask? Well, it can seem overwhelming with all the options on the market, but any toothbrush aimed at ages 2-5 should do the trick. Try and pick one that has a small oval head with soft bristles, and ideally colourful with a cute character on it that they will like.
That’s it! We are proud of you, your partner is proud of you, you are proud of you, your neighbour is proud of you for not making your child scream while brushing, and your toddler is in love with their mum or dad. BumblCo™ applauds you for your valiant efforts.
Joseph – Oral Health Therapist and Co-Founder