According to dentists, the child shouldteach you to brush your teeth from the age of three. You are mistaken if you think that to care for the oral cavity, when there is almost nothing there, it makes no sense. First, at this age it is much easier to accustom to the elementary rules of hygiene, without causing a protest. Secondly, caries affects the milk teeth. And let them then be replaced, but the presence of bacteria can lead to serious gastrointestinal diseases. Plus, tooth decay can go to permanent, i.e. on molars. And then you have to put a seal on the crumb. And, as you know, children and dentists are not the best friends. But how to teach a child to brush his teeth, if he does not yet understand that you can not eat pasta, gnaw a brush, smear others and so on? In fact, it's not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. And the sooner you start, the better. Do not wait for the baby to go to first grade. Because at this age you are unlikely to achieve daily compliance with basic rules of hygiene. 
Cleaning teeth: what parents should remember
Why brush your teeth? Cleansing the mouth, we get rid of not only the unpleasant odor, but also of food debris that begins to decompose with time. They are the source of the appearance and reproduction of bacteria. If you do everything right, giving this procedure at least three minutes, you can prevent the occurrence of many diseases: periodontal disease, tooth loss, caries, etc. Up to three years, it is better not to use toothpastes in order not to cause poisoning. The child's body is not yet used to various chemistries, plus, the baby may not really like the taste. As soon as the first milk teeth appear, wipe them with a conventional cotton swab moistened with filtered water. So you can remove the remnants of food from the enamel, without harming your child. Starting from three years, plus or minus half a year, you can teach the baby to a paste and a brush. How to teach a child to brush his teeth? The first time to do all the necessary manipulations still have to parents. In this case, you can only use children's funds. Since at this age the crumb can swallow the paste, it is better not to buy products that contain fluoride and other similar additives. 
We accustom to oral hygiene of the smallest
If you decide to teach your baby to brush his teeth, thenyou need to do this gradually, without showing irritation, when something is sour or the daughter will not work. Excellent, if in the future the child will be engaged in this procedure with you. As you can see, kids like to repeat everything for adults. In doing so, you must follow the rules, which sometimes even we forget. First, brushing the front teeth from the outside, place the toothbrush at an angle of 45 degrees. Movement - from top to bottom, ie from the gums to the edge. You, as it were, clean off the enamel and the remnants of food. Secondly, the extreme teeth (chewing) are brushed clean, located horizontally to the surface. The movements must be reciprocating. Do not forget to pay due attention to the inside, which needs special care. An important role in this case is played by the time of the procedure. On average, everything takes about three minutes, all the same. This is the established norm, both for very young children and for adults. To the baby realized how much passed, buy an ordinary hourglass. For the sake of justice it is worth noting that in three years your child is unlikely to be so long engaged in brushing your teeth. A minute later he will become bored. To small people wanted to brush their teeth, and not tormented by himself and did not shake his parents' nerves, the following rules should be observed:
- Voluntariness
Do not force the toothbrush to push the baby intomouth, thus provoking a protest. The first acquaintance with this hygiene product should occur in a calm environment. Allow me to inspect the stubble, touch funny animals or pictures depicted on the handle. Look at the magazines together, show cartoons that can be found on the global Internet. Be sure to tell the child how useful this procedure is. Great, if you come up with a fairy tale about teeth, where paste and brush are saviors, and bacteria will be negative heroes. It is better to entice the kid with an amusing story than to say that he will have an ugly smile if he does not do it.
- Accuracy
Cleaning teeth should not cause pain ordiscomfort, otherwise your child later will be afraid of this procedure. And more than jabs. Therefore, you do not need to press strongly on the head, trying to scrape off the plaque from the enamel. Plus, you injure the gums, and this is fraught with infection.
- Independence
Allow the baby to brush his teethyourself. Even if he does everything wrong, do not take his brush and scream. You must remain calm in any situation. In extreme cases, ask the child to brush the teeth of the doll. At the same time, watch the movements and unobtrusively suggest what and how best to do.
- A game
If the kid continues to be afraid to brush his teeth,help him overcome fear. Do it in a playful form. And let the one who best cope with the task best of all, will receive a prize. As a presentation, let's say, for example, the most beautiful apple. But buying toys or promising something - this should not be done. Otherwise, the child will understand that parents can be blackmailed. Do everything possible to play your child's play. And then the kid himself with impatience will wait for the moment when you can compete in brushing your teeth. Over time, it will become a habit. And at a more conscious age, such hygienic procedures will become the norm for him.
- Performance
If you could not get your baby to cleanteeth, try to play "representation". After the child has done all the procedures, go with him to the children's dentist. He will apply a special remedy on tooth enamel, which will show the remaining spots that are not visible in normal life to the naked eye. Do not worry, because this dye is completely safe. It was specially designed to teach the kids to properly clean the goiter and care for the oral cavity. When you see a rather unpleasant picture, next time your child will try to do everything right. Now you know how to teach a child to brush his teeth, not being nervous and not worrying about it. The main thing is to have patience, because clumsy kids constantly spray the pasta over the bathroom, cover up the mirror and face. Treat everything with humor. 
Means for oral care
Unfortunately, modern parents still do notknow what can clean the babies teeth, and what is better to refuse. Do you remember which products should be taught as early as possible? What kind of hygiene products do dentists recommend to use, starting at three years old? How can I clean my first teeth?
- Napkins for teeth
These devices are a real salvation foryoung mothers. They are completely safe, do not contain harmful substances. At the same time, they perfectly cope with the task at hand - almost immediately they erase the remains of food on their teeth. The unconditional advantage is that after using them you do not need to rinse your mouth. It is recommended to use napkins from 5 months.
- Toothpastes
As mentioned above, you can not buy a regulartoothpaste. To date, there are so many different options that even your eyes are scattered. Usually for the smallest manufacturers produce products with different tastes. Strawberry, crimson, cherry - your child will definitely like this pasta. Just be careful that he does not swallow it. Please note: baby toothpaste should be used until all teeth change. Then gradually move on to the adult. By the way, on some packages write, for what age the given production approaches. The older the child, the more fluoride will be in the paste, etc. additives. The only thing that will not change is an unusual sweet taste and a pleasant smell.
- Toothbrushes
When choosing a brush, you should focus onappearance, because the baby will attract an unusual, colorful little thing. But do not forget about the quality. Always ask to provide you with certificates and documents proving the authenticity of the products. Unfortunately, in our time everything is faked, including even children's products. Remember once and for all: the toothbrush changes every two months, at least. The size of the head should not exceed 1 cm. To determine the ideal length, attach the bristles to the teeth. If the length of the cleaning part does not cover 2 teeth, then the brush is matched correctly. Please note: the bristles must be soft, so as not to injure the tender gums of the baby. The handle of the brush should be comfortable so that the baby can grasp it with a palm.
Precautions: health and safety
Parents need to watch for the first timebrush cleanliness. Specialists recommend after each cleaning soap it with baby soap. This will prevent the entry and multiplication of bacteria. Plus, it clears the remaining toothpaste, food particles and other similar elements. Before starting the procedure, make sure to wash your hands. At first, do not allow the child to clean himself. You must control the amount of toothpaste applied to the brush, the duration of the procedure itself, the process of rinsing the oral cavity. Take care that the baby does not swallow water, does not lick the cap, etc. The harmful influence of children's habits on the teeth Do you want your child to have only a snow-white and healthy smile, on which there would not be a single spot, cracks? Then wean the baby away from some addictive habits that can only be dealt with in childhood. At an older age it is very difficult to get rid, for example, from licking hands, eating candy at night, etc.
- Taboo on the sweet
Teach your child that after the eveningDo not eat sweet food. If you so want something delicious, let him eat an apple or carrot, and then caress the mouth with an abundant amount of warm water. Candy, cookies, cakes and other similar goodies remain banned. The same applies to sweet drinks, juices, compotes.
- Licking your fingers
The habit of gnawing fingernails and licking your fingers canlead to deformation of the jaw, ingestion of microbes into the oral cavity. Previously, parents rubbed their hands with pepper to prevent children from ever again doing it. Now you can use more humane methods. However, when choosing a remedy, make sure that your child does not have any allergies to it. Going to the dentist: examining the baby teeth Before you teach your child to brush his teeth, you must visit him with a dentist. The doctor will examine the oral cavity, check if everything is good there. The fact that the milk teeth may start to grow incorrectly, forming a gap. In these slits there are food particles that begin to rot. Over time, tooth decay or caries is formed there. To avoid this, parents should pay special attention to the problem part when cleaning. At what age is it worth to visit a dentist? It is desirable somewhere from two to three years. Do not wait until all teeth are cut, as in some cases it is fraught with an incorrect bite. Plus, even the small ones may have problems with the gums caused by malnutrition, poor ecology, etc. How to teach the baby to a stranger (dentist), who will need to examine the mouth? To begin with, you can take your child to the clinic a couple of times so that he can see how calmly you react to such procedures. The main thing is not to panic or show fear yourself, otherwise the kid will not sit in an armchair in any way. If there is no urgent need, do not make the child do what he does not want. Let him get used to the doctor, start trusting him. In an extreme case, when there is no other way out, you can make anesthesia. A small patient will fall asleep, and the dentist will have time to examine and treat teeth. But it is better to resort to such measures as rarely as possible, so as not to harm the health and not to disturb the psyche of the little man.
