Health library

Your kiddo's once gummy grin may now be turning into a toothy smile. And even though your child's baby teeth will eventually be replaced by permanent ones, caring for them is still important.

Toddlers can get tooth decay (cavities), which may make them lose their baby teeth too early. And that could cause their adult teeth to come in crooked.

Protect those pearly whites

Healthy teeth start with regular brushing. You'll need to help your little one with that. Most kids can't brush their teeth solo until they're around age 6 or older.

You'll want to brush your child's teeth twice a day—morning and night. Use a soft, child-size toothbrush. Start with just a smear of fluoride toothpaste (it should look like a little rice grain) on the brush. After your child turns 3, you can use a larger, pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

While you brush your child's teeth, show them the steps involved. It doesn't really matter which direction you brush. The important thing is to clean each tooth.

Make brushing fun

As with dressing and bathing, kids will be happier to let you brush their teeth if you make it fun. And what could be more fun than a game?

You might play:

Find the hidden teeth. Have your child help you spot (and brush) the teeth in the back of their mouth. Most children will often focus only on cleaning their front teeth, which are easiest to see and reach, but this can get them thinking about the rest of their mouth. I see you hiding back there, Mr. Molar! Let me give you a brush.

Toothpaste time at the zoo. Have your child pretend to be a favorite animal. You can pretend to brush the fish out of the shark's teeth or the blueberries out of the bear's teeth. Grrr—sparkly clean now!

Sing along. Make up a short, fun song to sing while you brush your child's teeth. Or use a popular nursery rhyme: This is the way we brush our teeth…

More healthy teeth tips

Other important ways to care for your child's teeth are:

Offer tooth-friendly drinks. Teeth can decay if they're often exposed to any food or liquid other than water. So try to keep fruit juice and sugary drinks to a minimum. And if you use sippy cups between meals, fill them with water instead of milk, juice or sugary drinks.

Schedule a checkup. Children older than 1 year need regular dental checkups. During the exam, the dentist can:

• Check for cavities or other problems.
• Apply a fluoride (mineral) solution, if needed, to guard against cavities.
• Prescribe fluoride drops or tablets if your tap water doesn't have fluoride added to it.
• Give you more tips on caring for your toddler's teeth.

Reviewed 3/18/2024