doodleteeth00WHAT THE GUIDANCE SAYS
Two minutes, twice a day, and leave the fluoride on.
UK dental guidance keeps coming back to a few small habits: brush last thing at night and once more each day, use toothpaste with the right amount of fluoride, and keep sugary food and drinks to mealtimes.
Check the toothpaste01Principles
02THE SHORT ANSWER
Tooth decay builds up through daily habits.
The guidance focuses on three of them.
BRUSHING
The NHS says brush for about 2 minutes each time, once before bed and once more in the day. Night-time brushing is important.
The routineTOOTHPASTE
Fluoride is measured in ppm. Under-3s need a smear, 3 to 6 year olds a pea-sized amount. Then spit out and don't rinse.
Check by ageSUGAR
How often you have sugar matters as well as how much. Guidance says to have sugary food and drinks with meals, not as snacks, and not at bedtime.
Why frequency mattersGeneral information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
03A QUICK TOOTHPASTE CHECK
Pick an age to see the fluoride strength and amount of toothpaste UK guidance suggests. The bar shows the fluoride level, from lower-strength children's paste to standard family toothpaste.
Based on NHS advice and Delivering Better Oral Health. Fluoride strength is printed on the tube in ppm (parts per million). This is general information, not personal dental advice; a dentist may advise something different.
04TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
One figure on young children's teeth,
one on how much sugar goes into our diets.
22.4%
5 year olds who had experienced decay
A little lower than 23.7% in 2022. Children in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to have decay experience: 32.2%, against 13.6% in the least deprived.
DECAY AT AGE 5 · NDEP 2024
12.4% vs 5%
Boys aged 4 to 10, share of energy
The recommendation is that free sugars make up no more than 5% of total energy. Girls aged 11 to 18 averaged 12.5%, and children aged 1.5 to 3 the lowest, at 9.7%.
FREE SUGARS · DBOH
The decay figure is from the National Dental Epidemiology Programme survey of 5 year old schoolchildren in England, collected in the 2023 to 2024 school year. Sugar figures are for 2016 to 2019, as reported in Delivering Better Oral Health.
05FOUR HABITS TO TRY
None of these needs special kit. NHS guidance says it does not matter whether you use an electric or manual toothbrush.
Brush for about 2 minutes before bed and on one other occasion each day, covering all tooth surfaces.
Spit out the excess toothpaste and don't rinse with water, which washes away the concentrated fluoride.
If you use a fluoride mouthwash, choose a different time, such as after lunch, and don't eat or drink for 30 minutes after.
Floss or use an interdental brush before brushing. The NHS advises against wooden toothpicks, which may damage gums.
06SUGAR AND TIMING
Every time we have sugar, bacteria in the mouth turn it into acid and the tooth surface starts to lose minerals. Saliva brings things back to normal in 20 to 40 minutes, so frequent sugary snacks mean more time under attack.
Saliva flow drops during sleep, which is why guidance says to avoid sugary food and drinks at bedtime. Daily maximums for added sugar are 19 grams for ages 4 to 6, 24 grams for 7 to 10, and 30 grams from age 11.
07Questions
The NHS says about 2 minutes each time, twice a day. Brush last thing before bed and on one other occasion.
No. Spit out the excess toothpaste but don't rinse with water, because rinsing washes away the concentrated fluoride left on the teeth.
A smear for children under 3, and a pea-sized amount for children aged 3 to 6. Parents or carers should do the brushing for younger children.
The NHS suggests taking your child when their first milk teeth appear, or before they are 12 months old. NHS dental care for children is free.
They contain free sugars. UK guidance suggests limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day, and having them with meals.
08Sources
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