Can a three-year-old baby brush his teeth?

As babies grow up, parents need to teach them various life skills, and brushing teeth is one of them. Generally, children can brush their teeth after all their deciduous teeth have erupted. If a 3-year-old child develops normally, his or her baby teeth will usually have come out. At this time, you should teach him or her how to brush his or her teeth. So, what is the necessity of teaching babies to brush their teeth?

According to the results of children's physical examinations over the years, dental caries has been listed as the first item for correction of defects in children aged 3-6 years old. Tooth decay is mainly caused by bacteria living in the oral cavity. The most common bacteria in the oral cavity are Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. These bacteria survive and multiply in the gaps between teeth and on the surface of the gums, corroding the enamel and dentin of the teeth, gradually forming a hole and causing caries.

The main issue of baby's oral health care is to prevent tooth decay, and the measure that needs to be taken is brushing teeth.

Babies start to grow teeth when they are 7 months old, and will have all 20 primary teeth by the age of 2. Theoretically, they can brush their teeth at this time, but because babies' motor development is relatively slow and their hands cannot use a toothbrush freely, during this period you can only let your baby rinse his mouth after meals. By the age of 3, he must be taught to develop the good habit of brushing his teeth in the morning and evening, and rinsing his mouth after meals, and pay special attention to brushing his teeth before going to bed.

To teach your baby to brush his teeth, you must first let him master the correct posture. At the beginning, you can let him observe adults brushing their teeth. Then teach him step by step. The correct way to brush your teeth is to use the vertical brushing method. When brushing the upper teeth, brush from top to bottom, and when brushing the lower teeth, brush from bottom to top. And brush every tooth surface inside and outside. Babies sometimes use the horizontal brushing method, which can easily damage the gums and fail to remove food debris from the teeth. Therefore, this method is incorrect and should be corrected in time to prevent the baby from forming a habit.

At the same time, you should also choose a suitable toothbrush and toothpaste. Choose a health care toothbrush suitable for 3-year-old babies, with 2 rows of bristles, 6-7 bundles in each row, soft bristles, and a length suitable for babies for the toothbrush head and handle. In addition, the toothbrush should be replaced in time after using it for a period of time, generally once every 3 months. Toothpaste can include fluoride toothpaste, enzyme toothpaste and Chinese medicine formula toothpaste. Fluoride toothpaste is the best choice for preventing tooth decay. In addition, toothpastes should be used alternately. Using the same toothpaste for a long time will cause dental bacteria to develop drug resistance.