Family Information Service

Your child's dental health

Help give your child the best start for healthy teeth and happy smiles.

Three images mum helping a baby to brush teeth, toddler at the dentist, dad helping a toddler to brush his teeth.

Oral Health for Young Children 0 to 5 years

Good oral health starts with your baby’s very first tooth. Tooth decay is mostly preventable, but it is still one of the main reasons young children need hospital treatment for tooth extractions. Building positive habits early makes a real difference.

You can help your little one enjoy healthy smiles for life by introducing good dental habits from the start. This includes brushing regularly and avoiding sugary food and drinks.

Healthy teeth are important because they help your child eat comfortably, learn to speak clearly, and smile with confidence. Baby (milk) teeth also keep space ready for their adult teeth.

  • Start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears (usually around 6 months, but it can be earlier or later)
  • Parents or carers should brush children’s teeth
  • Brush twice a day for about 2 minutes using a smear of children’s fluoride toothpaste
  • Brush last thing before bed and once more during the day
  • Visit the dentist twice a year from when the first tooth appears. If you don’t have a dentist, you can search for one via Find a dentist – NHS by entering your postcode.
  • Limit sugary snacks and drinks and keep them to mealtimes only. View Snacks for Super Smiles from Health for Under 5s
  • Offer water or milk as the safest drinks for teeth

There is more advice on the NHS for taking care of children's teeth.

Bye bye bottle, hello cup

Babies are ready to start drinking from a free flow cup (beaker) or an open top cup from around six months old. Introducing a cup at this age gives them plenty of time to get used to it, helping you say “bye bye” to the bottle completely.

View advice from Bye-bye bottle, hello cup from Health for Under 5s

Ditching the dummy

Dummies can be really helpful for calming and comforting babies, especially during their first year. However, the advice is to try to move away from using a dummy by the time your child turns one. After this age, dummies can start causing problems for your growing child’s teeth and mouth development.

View tips on ditching the dummy from Health for Under 5s

Making brushing easier

Toddlers can be resistant to toothbrushing; it’s completely normal. A few simple strategies can make brushing easier and more fun:

  • brush together
  • use a mirror so they can see what’s happening
  • play short toothbrushing songs
  • try using reward charts

Healthy eating for happy smiles

As a parent, you can also help children build a strong relationship with food and make the right choices from the start.

There is information available to help you from:

Other resources

Video help from Dr Ranj