• Brush morning and night with a small (pea sized) amount of fluoride-toothpaste.
• Spit, don’t rinse to avoid rinsing away the protective benefits of fluoride.
• Children need help brushing from an adult until they are around 8 years old.
• Avoid using a medium or hard toothbrush as this may damage tooth enamel and gums.
• Skipping toothbrushing causes plaque to build-up on teeth. This causes bad breath and can make the teeth appear yellow.

Under 18 months

Don’t use toothpaste, unless advised by a dental practitioner. Wet the toothbrush with water.

From 18 months to 5 years

Use a low-fluoride toothpaste. This is sometimes called children’s toothpaste and has half the fluoride concentration of regular strength toothpaste.

6 years and older

Use a regular strength fluoride toothpaste. Look for a toothpaste that has at least 1000 parts per million fluoride concentration.

Snack ideas that are also good for teeth are:

• A piece of fruit
• Rice-cakes, cheese, sugar-free peanut butter or crackers with hummus
• A boiled egg
• Air-popped popcorn or nuts
• Small tub of natural yoghurt
• Add cucumber or mint to water instead of lemon

• Plain water contains no sugar and is the best drink for healthy teeth.
• Water that contains fluoride has the added benefit of helping prevent decay. To find out if your community has water fluoridation ask your local council or dental practitioner.
• Limit drinks that contain added sugars (e.g. juice, cordial, soft drink, sports drinks) as these cause tooth decay.

• Sport is a great way to keep children active. A mouthguard can minimise injuries to teeth, the jaw and surrounding tissue.
• Make sure teeth and gums are protected by a properly fitting mouthguard if your child plays contact sport.
• Mouthguards that are custom made by a dental practitioner fit the mouth more accurately.

• Children should have their first dental check-up before their second birthday
• Children at a higher risk of oral health problems may need more frequent check-ups.
• Do not wait until there is a problem. Regular dental check-ups are important to keep teeth, gums and mouth healthy.

• Try to make toothbrushing a positive experience. This may take patience and time to build into a positive routine for your child. Try one of the following tips for fussy brushers:
  • Try toothbrushing when your child is relaxed. If your child becomes upset or frustrated with brushing, try again at a later time.
  • Make brushing part of the daily routine. Brushing before bed is important to protect teeth from decay overnight.
  • Use positive reinforcements to encourage brushing. Try a brushing chart and stickers as reward or brush along to your child’s favourite song.  Playing the Toothbrushing Song from Queensland Health can help make toothbrushing a fun event for your child.
  • Be a role model – let children see that brushing and flossing are part of your routine and encourage them to join in.
  • As your child gets older, allow them to practice brushing first, but ensure an adult follows up to reach the areas that might be missed.

• Yes, but it is important to use the right technique and recommended toothpaste.  Your dental practitioner will be able to give you appropriate advice.
• Children need to be supervised by an adult when using an electric toothbrush to ensure they clean all surfaces of their teeth.