Brushing Instructions

 Caring For Your Children’s Teeth

Successful care of your child’s teeth means developing a healthy lifestyle. It is important to develop proper oral hygiene and sound dietary habits as part of a daily routine. We’ll be counting on you to reinforce these preventative philosophies at home.

Basic Brushing Instructions

1. Place the head of the toothbrush alongside the teeth, with the bristle tips angled against the gum line.
2. Using a circular motion, make the brush head “draw” small circles over the surface. NOTE: battery powered oscillating tooth brushes produce the ideal brushing motion and we recommend them highly.
3. Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, uppers and lowers, keeping the bristles angled against the gum line.
4. Use the same method on all the inside surfaces of the teeth, upper and lower, still using the circular motion.
5. For the front teeth, brush the inside surfaces by tilting the brush vertically and making several gentle up-and-down strokes with the “toe” (the front part) of the brush over the teeth and gum tissue.
6. Establish the following routine for brushing:
   1. Start brushing on the cheek side of the back, left top, and proceed all the way around.
   2. Move to the inside, back, right upper teeth and proceed all the way around.
   3. Start again, with the outside of the left lower teeth.
   4. Finish the routine by brushing the inside of the lowers, beginning on the left side. (Be sure the last molar is included.)
   5. Brush the tops of teeth with a back and forth scrubbing motion.