When should I start using toothpaste when brushing my child’s teeth? 

Begin using fluoridated toothpaste when your child is over 12 months. 

1 – 3 years: use a smear layer. Hold the tube of toothpaste and gently brush the bristles of the brush over the toothpaste so as to form a smear layer. Be cautious not to use more toothpaste as your child may have difficulties spitting it out and would chose to swallow the toothpaste instead. 

3 – 12 years: the toothpaste applied onto the brush should be the size of a green yam. 

12 years and above: the toothpaste applied onto the brush should be the size of a pea and no more. 

It is recommended that all children under 8 years of age should brush under supervision.
 

* Based on a discussion with Dr. Dileep De Silva, immediate past President of SLD and consultant in dental public health. 

Text by Panchali Illankoon