Occupational Therapists help their clients with Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs. One of these important ADLs is brushing your teeth! While these tips may not work for everyone, they serve as a general guideline of the process of developing tooth brushing skills from babies to school age children.
Read below for some tips on how to help your child’s teeth grow strong!
Babies
The goal: tolerating oral sensation in the mouth and encouraging tongue movement
Tips for helping babies:
- Provide opportunities to mouth safe toys and objects
- Allow your child to play with a child friendly toothbrush
- Use an adult fingertip toothbrush to provide gentle pressure on gums, tongue and lips
- Toothpaste is not necessary
Toddlers/Preschoolers
The goal: tooth brushing and flossing by an adult and starting to brush parts themselves
Tips for toddlers and preschoolers:
- Use a soft bristle toothbrush and a small amount of desired toothpaste
- Allow them to play with the toothbrush and attempt some brushing independently
- Role play on a doll or fake teeth game
- Use desired toothbrushes with your child’s favorite character, light up, vibrating. Let them choose something fun!
- Lead by example and demonstrate that you brush your teeth and express how important it is
- Read books and sing songs about tooth brushing
- Provide a mirror so the child can see their mouth during brushing
- Kids can practice spitting out small amounts of water
School Age Children
The goal: independent brushing and flossing teeth 2x per day
Tips for school age children
- Older children may be motivated with an electric toothbrush
- Use a kitchen timer, an app, or tooth brushing video to encourage 2 minutes of brushing 2x per day
- Use a reward chart if necessary
- Practice squeezing the adequate amount of toothpaste
- Use a small tube of toothpaste like a travel size to encourage smaller squeezes of paste
- Use a checklist to mark off each step of the tooth brushing routine
If you or a loved one are in need of physical, occupational, or speech therapy call our office today at 586-323-2957 to schedule your FREE 30 minute screening today.
Written by: Stephanie Earl, COTA
