Any adult is well aware of the purpose for which we brush our teeth and why we do it every day. Children don’t understand our arguments; the whole process seems to them heavy duty, which adults impose on them out of harm. How to convince a child of the need to brush their teeth? This task is perhaps the most difficult, but experienced mothers have found a way out of this situation. Today we will share the basic recommendations for teaching your baby oral hygiene.

First skills

Many mothers, when trying to force their child to brush their teeth, are faced with protest and an angry look from the latter. Be more tolerant of this, because the baby does not yet fully understand the importance of this process, and your stories are perceived by him as tedious notations. At best, he will simply pretend to be diligently brushing his teeth, but in fact he will only brush them a couple of times.

In order to teach a child the basic principles of oral care, the educational process must begin at a very early age. As soon as the first tooth appears, start wiping it with damp gauze or special wipes. If several teeth have already “settled” in the baby’s mouth, then we pay attention to the spaces between the teeth. Thus, oral hygiene will become a familiar daily activity for the baby, which is still carried out by the mother.

Attention! Article on the topic: at what age should a child start brushing his teeth and how to brush them correctly —

By the age of two, teach your child to rinse his mouth with water, especially after eating. Explain that this procedure is also hygienic, but he can do it on his own, without the help of elders.

Any kid wants to have “grown-up” things, so at the same age you can solemnly give the child his first toothbrush (without toothpaste for now). You need to choose a brush meticulously. Make sure that the handle is thick, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for the child to hold it in his little hand. Choose soft bristles so that your baby doesn’t hurt his tender gums. Of course, at this age the baby will not yet be able to fully brush his teeth, but will begin to get used to his instrument.

But not everything is as easy as we would like. Children begin to be capricious, resist and express their dissatisfaction. And in this case, parents should be smart and unobtrusively instill in their child the basic rules of dental care.

• No pressure

As a character familiar to everyone said, "Calm, just calm". Stock up on it, as well as patience and valerian :). This does not mean at all that you need to silently and patiently allow the baby to mock you and not fulfill the demands of your elders. On the contrary, you need to be persistent, but within reasonable limits.

The sequence of actions is also important. You cannot allow today what was prohibited yesterday and vice versa. For some reason, allowing a child not to brush his teeth is considered normal. Reward him for his merits with something else, and the issue of hygiene should be a constant companion in life.

At the same time, you should not force your child to brush his teeth while standing next to the belt. This method will only work in younger age. Once a child reaches adolescence, he may completely stop caring for himself solely out of a sense of protest.

There is no need to rush or scold a child if something doesn’t work out.

• Cleaning together

Personal example is more effective than any explanation or persuasion. Take your baby with you to the bathroom for morning routines. Give him the brush too, and let him try to imitate your movements.

Gradually, the game will develop into a habit, and then the child will catch up with you on the way to the bathroom.

• "Fantastic" toothbrush

Buy your child a bright/pretty toothbrush and fruit-flavored toothpaste. It is advisable to purchase a brush together, let the baby choose the one he likes best. Nowadays there is such a variety of them: with cartoon characters, different colors, and even “delicious” smells. But when buying, study other characteristics of the brush. For example, bristles should be synthetic, because natural bristles dry worse and are more attractive to microbes.

Toothpaste should also attract attention. In addition to the obvious benefits for adults, you need to pay attention to its taste. This factor attracts or repels children in the first place.

It is better to make all purchases at the pharmacy and after visiting the pediatric dentist. A specialist will tell you what the bristle height of a toothbrush should be, what components are required for children's toothpaste, and what is not advisable to purchase.

• Visiting the dentist

Indeed, you need to go to the doctor. And not only for the next portion of moralizing, but also for real help.

Dental clinics are now equipped with many different training tools. Children are shown cartoons on the desired topic. After educational videos, children are shown the rules of brushing their teeth using models. Such lessons with visual demonstrations cannot “evaporate” from memory.

Watch the cartoon “The Good Doctor Dentist”

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

You can repeat the same at home. Nowadays it’s not difficult to buy a toy with big teeth and ask your child to show him how to brush his teeth correctly ().

• Recording successes

Success, if it has been noticed and noted, is always an additional incentive for new achievements. Previously, in schools, first-graders hung a large poster on the wall and for each good answer the student put a star next to it.

Feel free to use this method. It doesn’t have to be stars, let it be any figures or stickers that your child likes. But you also need to come up with a reward in advance. A certain number of stickers should bring a certain reward to the baby.

• Motivation

Where would we be without her? By forcing, you cause protest in the child. The child should not feel that elders are imposing their point of view on him. With good motivation, the child will not even notice how he begins to follow your recommendations. Engage him through a game or come up with a scary fairy tale with a good ending, in which all the caries escaped from the toothbrush.

• The right to choose

Even here you need to give the child the opportunity to choose. But this is not a choice of a “to brush or not to brush your teeth” plan. Let him choose his own toothbrush and toothpaste. And now we don’t mean the moment of purchase. Make sure your bathroom shelf has 2-3 different brushes for your little one and the same number of types of toothpaste. Variety every day - you can hardly get tired of this.

• Cartoons

Not all adults know that several cartoons and films for children have already been released on the topic of dental care. Various stories about unwilling children who refused to brush their teeth will have a certain effect.

Here are a few videos on this topic:

• Competitive spirit

This is also a kind of motivation. Well, what kid doesn't want to be a leader? Or win by competing with mom? Come up with, for example, a competition to see who will have whiter teeth after brushing. Be sure to prepare a small prize for the winner. Let it be just an apple, but won by him on his own.

• Let's play

Any process will become much more exciting if it takes place in a playful way. In this case, the child performs all actions easily and naturally and does not perceive them as a heavy burden.

Use your imagination and analyze what your little one likes to play the most. It is this game that should become the basis for your fiction. Does he like to play Spider-Man? Then we can say that bad breath will declassify the hero or will not allow him to cope with another criminal. Everything is up to your imagination...

• Buy an hourglass

What are they needed for? To calm the baby. Some cute creatures feel like their parents make them brush their teeth for too long. Agree with your child in advance that the whole process will take exactly as long as the sand is poured. As a result, the baby will stop whining and will focus on the clock.

Just buy a watch that lasts 2 minutes. This is not too long a period of time for a child, and the paste will have time to “work.”

• Taking care of toys

Children love to imitate adults, so give your child such a chance. Let him teach his toys how to brush their teeth by his own positive example. After showing the whole process to his toy friends, the child can brush their teeth too.

It is advisable to use toys made of plastic or other hard materials for this purpose. It’s a shame to get your plush friends wet, and they’ll take a long time to dry.

By the age of eight, a child who has been properly accustomed to oral hygiene can already brush his or her teeth independently and fully. Giving him his first skills is not at all difficult, you just need to show a little patience and use your imagination.

How do you teach your children to brush their teeth? Share your experience in the comments...

Be sure to read the article

For any mother, children's tears are extremely unpleasant. What should those mothers do who see them every day because the child refuses to brush his teeth?

Getting your child to brush their teeth can be very difficult. Unlike adults, children do not understand that some things have to be done simply because “they have to.” If a child does not yet know what dental problems are, then it is difficult for him to imagine them and sincerely want to prevent them. And if the teeth have already been treated, this could traumatize the child and turn him away from any, even painless, procedures related to this area. Plus, no one can cancel age-related “crises”, character traits and other nuances. However, the health and beauty of your child depends on proper brushing of teeth, which means you need to deal with the problem as early as possible.

A child does not want to brush his teeth: a doctor’s opinion

“The procedure itself will not cause negative emotions in a child if he has not had an early negative experience when visiting a dentist. If during a visit to the dentist a child experienced fear, pain and other unpleasant emotions, then they are extrapolated to all subsequent manipulations in the oral cavity, whether at the dentist or during home hygiene procedures.

If a child is taught from a very early age, even before teething, to clean the mouth using a terry cloth moistened with boiled water at room temperature, then there will be no problems in the future. And if they start teaching them to brush their teeth at 2-3 years old, stuffing the brush in with tears and screams, then this fear, pain, hysterical reaction to any procedure in the oral cavity will last a lifetime.

The time for brushing your teeth depends on the number of teeth in your mouth. If only the first four baby teeth have erupted, then 30 seconds is enough. More teeth erupt - more time will be required to carry out the hygiene procedure. You can add factors that diversify teeth brushing - this will facilitate the process of getting used to it,” comments dentist Sergei Borisovich Ulitkovsky.

What can you do to make your child want to brush their teeth?

If the process of getting used to a toothbrush is not going very smoothly, try using several simple tips that will help correct the situation:

1. First of all, you need to understand what causes your reluctance to brush your teeth. Each child has individual reasons, and they can depend on many factors: from painful sensations to the fact that he is uncomfortable when he is forced to do something. Understanding the reason for refusal is the most difficult thing, but it will help you choose the most effective strategy.

1. Do not force your child to brush their teeth - this will most likely discourage you from practicing oral hygiene completely. We also do not recommend scolding or intimidating your child. Everything that causes negative reactions in parents is associated with an unpleasant experience in the baby. It’s better to show how it is to properly care for your teeth in a playful way. A favorite hare can take care of another toy and help its plush “brother” brush his teeth.

1. Show how you brush your teeth yourself. Children love to copy adults, especially mom and dad. Try brushing your teeth with your child - it's always more fun together! You can have a competition to see who can brush their teeth the best. Get creative with the “duel”, for example, compete to see who can make the most foam out of toothpaste. The secret of success is a good mood and a non-standard approach!

1. Make your daily ritual an exciting adventure! There are a lot of possibilities for this. For example, you could read a fairy tale or counting rhyme to your child. They can also help you with this modern technologies. For example, you can use the Sonicare for Kids interactive sonic brush (suitable for children aged three years and older). The brush has a special application for a tablet or phone - your baby will have a cartoon friend - the hero Sparkly. He will tell him how to brush his teeth properly to defeat harmful germs. There is no need to worry that your child will quickly get tired of the brush: your child will receive points for well-brushed teeth and will be able to “spend” them on outfits for his assistant. And the application will monitor that the child brushes his teeth for the prescribed two minutes.

1. More dental stories! Various fairy tales about teeth, stories about the tooth fairy, stories about heroes who did not forget to brush their teeth will help your child understand that brushing your teeth on time and correctly is very important. For inspiration, let us remind you of one case that has been written about a lot on the Internet: a father of three children, after many unsuccessful attempts to teach his son to brush his teeth, decided to approach the problem creatively. When a boy lost a tooth, he wrote him a letter on behalf of the tooth fairy, in which he said that he would not receive the traditional reward because the condition of the tooth that the fairy received was very bad. The baby became upset and began to take oral hygiene more seriously.

We wish you and your child a speedy victory over the teeth brushing procedure! Let it bring only joy and pleasure, and let your baby’s teeth be strong and healthy!

Despite doctors' recommendations, parents often skip or completely ignore brushing their teeth. The baby was fussy before bed - you don’t have to clean it, just let him calm down. Did you wake up at night? I'll give him warm milk or compote and let him fall asleep.

Why doesn't my child want to brush his teeth?

One of possible options- resistance from the parents themselves. One can understand them: every time dealing with a child’s hysteria, organizing long sessions of indoctrination about the benefits of hygiene are not pleasant tasks. However, if parents do not insist on mandatory brushing of teeth at a set time and do not control the process, then this becomes an optional procedure for the child.

Here are a few more examples of how parents themselves can provoke refusal of hygiene procedures:

If a mother scolds a child for not brushing his teeth well or not rinsing the sink after himself, the child’s motivation drops.

Parents force their child or use force if they brush his teeth themselves. In the child’s mind, the procedure of brushing teeth becomes associated with pain and unpleasant emotions.

The child is stimulated with horror stories: they tell about a woman who is watching from behind bars, they promise that if you don’t brush your teeth, they will all fall out, they scare you with the dentist.

The child does not have enough skills. He is not yet physically able to coordinate his movements and needs help from his elders, and his parents believe that he is deliberately playing around or pretending that he cannot.

How to teach a child to brush their teeth?

Dentists recommend starting oral hygiene procedures long before the appearance of the first tooth. The very first hygiene procedures in a child’s oral cavity are wiping the gums with special napkins. The next step is a silicone toothbrush. In parallel with it or later, you can introduce a toothbrush for the little ones.

With the appearance of the first teeth, the child needs to buy a toothbrush, and the mother should brush her teeth in the morning and evening. After a year, you can try to use a brush on your own, and from the age of two (if there are no other recommendations from dentists) you need to add a special children's paste.

What will help a child develop a healthy habit?

Personal example. Take your child in your arms and show how you brush your teeth. Be sure to say that you are going to brush your teeth, and dad brushes, and mom, and grandparents.

Game elements. Speak to the teeth on behalf of the brush: “What did you eat today, teeth? Can I have a look? Show! Oh, here's porridge, here's soup, here's an apple. Can I clean you up? Every tooth wants to be clean and shiny, but the porridge gets in the way.”

Attract toys. Let your child brush the teeth of dolls, bears and dogs. If he becomes interested in this action, tell him how glad the dog is that she has clean teeth, how beautiful they are now.

Create rituals. You can brush your favorite toys before you go brush with your child. You can come up with a special song for your teeth that you sing before brushing.

Motivate your child. This can be a physical reward or praise, you can collect chips or colored buttons, and when you reach a certain number, spend them on something interesting (for example, 60 chips - going to a game center or buying a toy).

Watch the cartoon and for example, the cartoon “Good Doctor Dentist” and play games about dentists. Choose your child's favorite characters and find an episode where they brush their teeth.

Use useful apps. In the world of technology, there are many “helpers” for children. Download special applications ( Children's doctor: dentist , the game “My Dentist” - there are quite a lot of them), where fairy-tale heroes They encourage the child and encourage him to brush his teeth, signal how long to brush and tell him how. You can also purchase books for little ones about brushing their teeth. In addition, you can play YouTube videos for your child like “Brush your teeth song”- there are several of them.

You will find even more examples of motivations for children regarding brushing their teeth, as well as many others - when a child does not want to get dressed, eat, sleep, or put away toys - in the collection "Pantry of Motivational Ideas", which all course participants receive “Obedient baby in 4 weeks”. It contains best ideas, tested by mothers, students of the School of Psychology for Moms, who help their children cope with their reluctance to do what they need to do, more willingly and more fun.

Brushing your teeth thoroughly twice a day can prevent many oral problems, but it is only when it is regular. Even if you want to occasionally pamper your child (in honor of a weekend, a holiday, or the arrival of guests), it is important not to compromise on things that are important for his health and to instill in him the need to take care of his teeth.

Greetings, dear friends! So that when you go to the dentist you don’t have to worry about the fact that your child has a lot of bad teeth that need to be treated immediately. To avoid your baby’s tears, which will flood him in the dentist’s chair, you need to take care of his teeth in advance. This is exactly what we're talking about we'll talk in today's article.

Let's find out at what age you need to brush your teeth and how to teach a 2-year-old child to brush his teeth on his own. I’ll tell you how to properly brush children’s teeth, and the specifics of brushing teeth for a one-year-old child. I’ll also share the secret of how to force a child if he doesn’t want to brush his teeth on his own. Yes, unfortunately, some parents are faced with a problem that their child does not allow them to brush their teeth and no amount of persuasion helps. I'll tell you how to deal with this! If the topic of brushing your child’s teeth is relevant to you, then stay and read on.

At what age should a child brush his teeth?

When the baby's first tooth erupts, moms and dads wonder at what age should a child brush his teeth? Doctors agree on this issue and recommend starting to brush your teeth from the moment they appear.

To brush our teeth, we used a special brush for children, which came with the Splat toothpaste. She puts it on the finger of an adult and we begin to brush the child’s teeth. When the children had more and more teeth and began to bite while brushing their teeth, I began to put a children's finger brush on a regular brush and brush in this way. If Lena or Nastya wanted to bite or scratch their teeth, then they bit for pleasure without causing me pain and my fingers were safe and sound))) By the way, we still brush our children’s teeth only with this toothpaste, and we already buy a brush more “ an adult."

Many parents believe that it is not necessary to brush baby teeth (many, to my surprise, even refuse to treat baby teeth). They comment on this by saying that they will soon fall out anyway, and new, radical ones will grow in their place, and these are the ones that need to be cleaned. But this opinion is erroneous, because the health of permanent teeth depends on how well we care for baby teeth. So I don’t recommend leaving everything to chance, but paying close attention to your baby’s teeth. When he grows up, he will thank you for this.

At what age should a child brush his teeth? Komarovsky

How to properly brush children's teeth

In order to answer the question of how to properly brush children’s teeth, we will consider each child’s age separately. Since in each period of growing up, the technique of brushing teeth is different. Toothpaste is not recommended for use before a child reaches two years of age.

Infants. In order to brush infants' teeth, use gauze, which must first be moistened in boiled water at room temperature. Later, when the baby gets older, you can add salt to the water to help protect against the growth of bacteria that are located on the surface of the teeth.

How to brush your one-year-old child's teeth. When your baby turns one year old, you can use special toothbrushes with rubber spikes to brush your teeth (I wrote about such a brush above; we used a fingerbrush, which was sold complete with toothpaste).

When the baby grows 12 baby teeth (it’s difficult to say the exact age; some teeth grow faster, while others last longer), you can use a toothbrush with artificial bristles. When the time came to buy the first “adult” toothbrush for children, we entrusted the task of choosing to the child. He chose his own toothbrush and then happily brushed his teeth with it.

How to brush your one year old's teeth

A one-year-old baby needs daily teeth brushing, regardless of how many teeth there are. this moment he has erupted. At this age, the baby will not yet be able to brush his teeth on his own, so this procedure should be carried out daily (morning and evening) by parents.

As I wrote earlier, in order to brush the teeth of a one-year-old child, they use a special rubber brush with spikes, which is placed on the parents’ finger. The teeth cleaning process is carried out carefully so as not to cause pain or discomfort to the child. Gentle wave-like, circular movements allow you to clean the teeth and at the same time not injure the delicate gums and enamel of the child’s teeth.

How to teach and accustom a 2-year-old child to brush his teeth on his own

In order to teach a 2-year-old child to brush his teeth on his own, we first show him what needs to be done, how to brush his teeth correctly. To do this, soak a toothbrush in warm water and gently move it over your baby's teeth.

When the baby becomes interested in the process (every child goes through the “on my own” period, when he strives to do everything on his own, don’t miss this moment) - give him a toothbrush in his hand and let him brush his teeth on his own. Don’t scold if your child doesn’t manage to brush his teeth at first, this will only discourage him from taking care of his dental hygiene. Carefully show and guide his hand, demonstrating how to brush his teeth correctly. Gradually, the child will remember the movements and brush his teeth on his own.

Pictures of how to properly brush a child's teeth

The child does not allow you to brush your teeth. How to force a child if he does not want to brush his teeth?

Unfortunately, not all children are comfortable with brushing their teeth. Some kids outright refuse to brush their teeth. In this case, no horror stories, persuasion or other research from parents helps. What to do in such a situation if the child does not allow you to brush your teeth? After all, you need to brush your teeth. How to force a child, if he does not want to brush his teeth, how to convince him of the need for this procedure?

Try to add some variety to your boring daily routine. Maybe your baby is just bored of standing in one place every morning and evening and brushing his teeth for 2-3 minutes, looking at one point? Make the teeth brushing procedure more interesting and joyful for your baby. Come up with something that will make the child rejoice at the upcoming procedure and run faster to grab a toothbrush.

1. We entertain. You can accompany brushing your teeth with funny rhymes, songs, and nursery rhymes, while not forgetting to make rhythmic movements with the brush.
2. We call the toy for help. Invite your child to brush the teeth of a toy - a doll, a bunny, a dog. After the toy’s teeth are shining, it’s the child’s turn.

Don't forget that your child's teeth need to be brushed twice a day. This helps prevent caries and other complications. In this case, a trip to the dentist will be accompanied only by joyful smiles.

Doctor rabbit. How to teach a child to brush their teeth. Educational cartoon

I liked the article “At what age should a child brush his teeth? How to teach a 2-year-old child to brush his teeth? Share it with your friends using social buttons. networks. To avoid missing new articles, subscribe to blog updates. There is a lot of interesting things ahead!

It would seem that daily brushing of teeth is a simple matter, is it worth devoting an entire article to it? Dentists say that most of us brush our teeth incorrectly, and this leads to a number of oral problems. Improper oral hygiene can cause diseases of the teeth and gums, lead to bad breath, and darkening of tooth enamel.

Why brush your teeth?

The oral cavity is one of the most exposed to environment places in the body. Billions of bacteria live in the mouth. We are given teeth for mechanical processing of food, i.e. chewing food, the remains of which may get stuck between the teeth. This creates a breeding ground for microorganisms. If a person has not brushed his teeth for a long time, bacteria multiply very quickly and a soft plaque forms.

This plaque is very destructive for teeth, because... produces acid that destroys tooth enamel. If you do not clean it off, the tooth will soon be susceptible to caries. In addition, plaque contributes to the disruption of the natural barrier to infections in the mouth. It can also cause halitosis - bad breath and the formation of tartar.

If we regularly clean our teeth of soft plaque, we will not give microorganisms a single chance to cause caries and other problems.

How often should you brush your teeth?

It is necessary to brush your teeth at least 2 times a day - in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed. Dentists recommend a three-minute duration of brushing with a toothbrush (i.e., at least 3 minutes).

In addition to cleaning the external and internal surfaces of the tooth, it is necessary daily Special attention give to interdental spaces. because food debris gets stuck in them, on which plaque—microorganisms—grows very quickly. The interdental spaces are cleaned with special dental flosses without damaging the gums. The floss is carefully inserted between the teeth, bypasses the gums, and removes plaque and food debris from the teeth in the interdental spaces.

Every day you need to finish brushing your teeth with a special rinse, preferably herbal (you can make an infusion yourself). It is important that your daily mouthwash does not contain alcohol or chlorhexidine. The contact time of the rinse with the oral cavity is 30 seconds.

It is also necessary to brush your teeth after every meal. For this, people with healthy teeth can use chewing gum, which can be used to clean the mouth only after eating for no more than 5-7 minutes. In some cases, chewing gum can be harmful for patients with problem teeth, so mouth rinses can be used after meals. Talk to your dentist about how to properly brush your teeth after each meal in your case.

How to choose a toothbrush

Your dentist's advice will be of great help in choosing a toothbrush. A soft brush may not clean your teeth as effectively, and hard bristles can damage your enamel and gums. Most often, a medium-hard brush is used. Many people are interested in what is better - an electric brush or a regular one. Dentists recommend brushing your teeth with an electric brush no more than 2-3 times a week, because... otherwise the enamel may be damaged.

Good reviews about ultrasonic brushes. They allow you to remove plaque in hard-to-reach places due to ultrasonic vibrations that lift plaque from the surface. Recommended for sensitive teeth, braces, periodontal diseases, and other situations where mechanical cleaning is difficult. However, the peculiarities of such brushes are their rather high cost, as well as the presence of contraindications - for cancer patients, people with cardiovascular diseases, mental illnesses, pacemakers and children under 9 years old.

Choosing a toothpaste

The paste should also be used taking into account the oral condition of each person. One has sensitive teeth - a special toothpaste is needed to reduce sensitivity. Another has such microflora in his mouth that plaque builds up very quickly - he needs an antibacterial one. In the third case, there may be bleeding gums - a paste is needed for healthy gums. Very often all this can be combined, then a combined action paste is needed.

When choosing a paste manufacturer, you must also focus on your feelings. After all, it is very important that brushing your teeth is comfortable, and if the taste of the toothpaste causes nausea, a person is unlikely to benefit from it. It happens that, apparently due to individual characteristics microflora of the oral cavity after brushing your teeth with certain pastes, after some time a film forms on the oral mucosa, which creates discomfort. In this case, it is better to replace the paste.

Many people want to make their teeth lighter and for this they constantly use whitening toothpastes. Here you need to know that modern whitening pastes most often contain enzymes that facilitate easier removal of plaque. Although these pastes do not harm the enamel, they can only be used daily for 1-2 months. Highly abrasive whitening toothpastes (used mainly for smokers) are more effective, but also dangerous to the enamel. They can only be used 1-2 times a week.

How much toothpaste do you need?

Many people mindlessly squeeze toothpaste along their toothbrush because advertising taught them to do so: back in the 40s, a guy on an advertising poster carefully squeezed toothpaste along the brush. The fact is that the task of marketers is to teach us to buy more than necessary and thus sell us as many products as possible.

The main task of toothpaste is to provide mechanical cleaning of the surface of the teeth with a brush. The paste is designed to soften the hardness of the brush, reduce its trauma and soften plaque. Too much a large number of paste reduces the effectiveness of the toothbrush.

So how much toothpaste should you squeeze onto your brush for effective brushing? Every dentist will tell you that there should be a “pea-sized amount” of toothpaste on your brush.

How to brush your teeth correctly

It must be said that germs need to be removed not only from the teeth, but also from the tongue and cheeks. In this way we will protect the oral cavity even better. And yet, oral hygiene begins with brushing your teeth.

It is very important not only what we brush our teeth with, but also how. How well we remove plaque from our teeth depends on the movements we make with the toothbrush.

Movements with a toothbrush should be vertical, as if sweeping bacteria from the gums to the cutting edge of the tooth (that’s what dentists call “sweeping” movements). Why not horizontal or circular? Horizontal and circular movements contribute to the fact that plaque accumulates even more in the interdental recesses. In addition, as a result of horizontal movements, we can get a so-called wedge-shaped defect.

It not only makes the smile less attractive, but also greatly increases the sensitivity of the teeth, and in later stages leads to periodontal disease and tooth loss.

So, let's start brushing our teeth.

1. Taking a brush in your hands and rinsing it well with water, apply pea-sized paste. You can also apply large quantity paste, but then it will create a lot of foam, which will interfere with cleaning.

2. Upper teeth: bring the brush to the upper edge at an angle of 45 degrees.

3. We begin to produce vertical movements(in this case from top to bottom). There are 3-4 movements around each tooth. We start with the back teeth and move to the front.

4. We do the same on the inside of the upper teeth: brush at an angle of 45 degrees, sweeping movements. As soon as we reach the front teeth, starting with the fangs, we change the position of the brush and make the same movements, only in the position of the brush, as shown in the figure:

5. We clean the chewing surfaces of the teeth with horizontal movements, back and forth movements are allowed, but it is better to “sweep out” the plaque again from the back teeth to the front.

8. At the end we clean the tongue, because a lot of microorganisms accumulate on it. Movements from the root of the tongue to the tip.

10. We tear off the dental floss and clean the interdental spaces, starting from the back teeth to the front. You cannot clean different interdental spaces with the same piece of floss, because... in this way we will transfer bacteria from the previous area to the next one. It is convenient to tear off about 30 cm of thread, place it between 2 index fingers, leaving a few centimeters for cleaning. As you clean, wrap the used thread around one of your fingers. Be careful not to injure your gums.

11. Rinse your mouth with mouthwash for 30 seconds.

After brushing your teeth, make sure that the toothbrush does not “pick up” excess germs before the next use. To do this, it is recommended to soap it and leave it in this state until next time. Be sure to rinse it well before use. Brush your teeth only with your own toothbrush, and do not forget to change it for a new one at least once every 2-3 months.