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Last updated: May 2026

Review date: May 2027

Children’s first experiences of oral health can impact the rest of their lives. It is important to teach children about their teeth and embed good habits as soon as possible. First teeth usually start to appear when a child is around 6 months, all baby teeth usually appear by 30 months, but all children are different and develop at different rates.

The aim of this policy is to highlight the importance of establishing good mouth health care habits early in life and improve the oral health and therefore general health, of children in our care.

Tips for effective cleaning

• Use a small-headed toothbrush designed for children with soft bristles
• Brush using circular motions, concentrating on one area at a time
• Brush behind the teeth and onto the gums
• Spit out after brushing but do not rinse so the fluoride stays on the teeth longer
• Teeth cleaning should be part of children’s daily hygiene routine, before bed and at least one other time throughout the day.
• Try to make the experience fun and offer encouragement

Fluoride

It is important to use a toothpaste containing fluoride as it helps to prevent tooth decay. All children should use a toothpaste containing 1450ppm (parts per million). The amount of fluoride can be checked on toothpaste packaging. Children under 7 years old should be supervised during brushing to ensure that they swallow as little as possible and that they spit out the toothpaste rather than rinse. This way the fluoride will stay on the teeth longer and be more effective.

Visiting the dentist

NHS dental care for children is free. Taking children once their first milk teeth appear will enable the dentist to identify any early oral health problems and familiarise children with the environment.

The dentist can also advise on how to prevent tooth decay and maintaining effective oral health. Children should receive regular dental check-ups as advised by the dentist. We can signpost families to local NHS dentists for them to receive regular oral care.

Oral Health at Paint Pots

We have a Healthy Mouth Lead (HML) who is an advocate for good mouth health in the setting. The Healthy Mouth Lead is trained by a member of Solent NHS trust who can support families with recognising and managing common oral health problems. The HML will establish safe and effective tooth brushing in the setting in line with the ‘Supervised Tooth Brushing Handbook’.

We encourage children to clean their teeth during the day at Paint Pots. Solent NHS Trust provide small headed brushes and toothpaste containing the recommended fluoride level which contains 1450 parts per million fluoride. Brushing during the day, alongside normal morning and evening brushing, has been shown to reduce tooth decay and be beneficial in establishing good health mouth behaviour.