Guide to Looking After Your Child’s Teeth

Dental, Maxillofacial and Cleft Department

5 Top tips

• Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as their first tooth appears, around 6 months old.
• Encourage your child to drink from a cup rather than a bottle after their first birthday.
• Brush their teeth twice a day for 2 minutes, especially before bed.
• Encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste but not rinse.
• Take your child to the dentist at least once a year to check their teeth are healthy.

Why is it important to look after baby teeth?

• Baby teeth can develop holes easily, especially if children have too much sugar or acidic drinks, like fizzy drinks.
• Severe decay can be painful, and sometimes teeth may need to be removed under general anaesthesia.
• Baby teeth hold space for adult teeth and help guide them into the correct position.

Brushing teeth: What you need to know?

Ages 0–2

• Start brushing as soon as first tooth appears.
• Use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.
• Ask your dentist for advice if you notice any holes, stains or changes in the teeth.

Ages 3–5

• Use a pea sized amount of fluoride adult toothpaste (minimum 1450 ppm).
• Help and supervise your child while they are brushing their teeth.
• Use a mirror so your child can see how you are brushing their teeth and learn from it.

Ages 6–10

• Your child can brush their own teeth, but you should still check they are brushing properly.
• They can use brushing apps or charts to make it fun.
• Consider using a fluoride mouthwash at separate times to brushing.
• Your child can use plaque disclosing tablets to show where plaque is hiding.

Food and drink tips for your child

For babies

• Encourage drinking from a cup from around 6 months of age.
• Do not put fruit juice or sweetened drinks in feeding bottles.
• Avoid any food or drinks after brushing at night, except for plain water.
• Make sure all carers and family members are aware of this information.

For children aged 1 and older

• Try to limit sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes only.
• Offer water or milk between meals.
• Be aware of acid content of drinks and hidden sugars in foods.
• Choose sugar free snacks whenever possible.
• Avoid bottle-feeding or breastfeeding on demand, specially overnight.
• Check food and drink labels – ‘no added sugar’ does not mean ‘no sugar’.
• After brushing at night, only allow water.

Eatwell Plate you can find the information on the NHS website – https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/

Save your kids from sugar website – https://savekidsfromsugar.co.uk/

Going to the dentist

• Take your child to the dentist when their first tooth appears through the gum – https://dentalcheckbyone.co.uk/
• How to find a dentist – www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/dentists

Emergency Dental Care

If your child is in pain or in need of support, help or advice, please telephone your dental practice in the usual way. If your child does not have a dentist and have an urgent need you can find a dentist via NHS 111 or by calling your local dental helpline.

Further information and videos

British Society of Paediatric Dentistry Website

Taking Care of Your Teeth:

Save kids from sugar:

All Together Smiling:

For more information about looking after your child’s teeth while they’re hospital, click the button below.

You can find out more about the Dental and Orthodontics team by clicking the button below.

Reference

Department of Health and Social Care. Delivering Better Oral Health: An Evidence-Based Toolkit for Prevention (4th edition; updated September 2025).

Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Prevention and Management of Dental Caries in Children (3rd edition, 2025)

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the dentist. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

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