When should you start brushing your teeth and how much toothpaste should you use?

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One of my major life fears is the dentist, even though my dentist is, in actuality, awesome. Healthy gums and teeth are connected to everything else in your body, which is why I will never understand why dental is not a standard part of healthcare here in America. This all reminds me that I am way overdue for a standard cleaning.

Before I go too far into the healthcare or phobia wilds, here are some tips from Jesse Hughes on dental health (p.s. I've been using too much toothpaste):

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Taking care of your teeth is vital. You need to start paying attention to dental hygiene from a very early age. A major part of dental hygiene is dental cleaning. This is why you need to teach your child about the importance of keeping their mouth and teeth clean. You should also act as a good example by making sure you follow an effective dental hygiene routine.

Toothpaste plays an important part in oral hygiene but you may not be aware of exactly how much toothpaste you should be using. We are going to explain why using too much toothpaste is not a good idea. We are also going to take a look at when you should start using toothpaste to clean your child’s teeth and how their tooth cleaning should progress.

Using toothpaste to clean a child’s teeth

If your child is yet to get any teeth then it’s not necessary to use a toothbrush to clean their mouth; all that you need to do is use a washcloth and some water. This helps to remove bacteria from their gums.

Once your child has teeth an age appropriate toothbrush should be used. It’s only necessary to add a small smear of infant toothpaste to the brush. If you use too much toothpaste your child is more likely to swallow it.  Once your child reaches 2-3 years of age you should change the amount of toothpaste used; you should squeeze a pea sized amount onto your child’s toothbrush.

It’s important to note that until your child is around six years of age you will need to either brush their teeth or provide a high level of assistance. Once they reach the age of six most children can brush their own teeth, although you may still need to provide some supervision to make sure that the task is completed successfully.

How much toothpaste should an adult use?

It may surprise you to learn that the amount of toothpaste needed to brush your teeth does not increase from when you are a toddler; a pea sized amount is sufficient. If you use more toothpaste than this it can act as an abrasive against your teeth and gums.

It’s also worth noting that you need to brush your teeth for around two minutes if they are to be cleaned effectively. It’s very difficult to do this if you have to put up with a mouthful of toothpaste for that length of time; constantly having to spit out excess toothpaste does not make for an efficient cleaning session.

You can see how important it is for you to start cleaning your child’s mouth and teeth from an early age. You should also make sure that you explain the process to your child so that they become aware of how important a good oral hygiene routine is. This helps them to take care of their teeth effectively as they grow up, and throughout their life. 

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What about you? Any dental phobia? 
And have you been using the correct amount of toothpaste?