Better Health Start for Life Top Tips For Teeth

The Better Health Start for Life Top Tips for Teeth resources are designed to support dental professionals, health care professionals, early years professionals and those working with families and young children to encourage parents and carers to teach children good oral health, as well as make pregnant women aware of the additional dental support they can access.

There are various printed and digital materials available to partners, including posters, leaflets, digital screens and social media toolkit. Resources signpost to online support tools and available on the Start for Life websites.

Good oral health is very important for a child's growth and can affect their health. Starting good tooth brushing habits early can help prevent tooth decay and other problems later on. The Top Tips for Teeth resources encourage parents to start taking care of their child's teeth as soon as the first tooth comes in, which usually happens around six months old.

The resources also advise parents to avoid giving their children sugary drinks, as these can lead to tooth decay. As children grow, it's important to encourage them to spit out toothpaste instead of rinsing with water. Rinsing washes away the fluoride, which helps protect their teeth and keep them healthy.

The Start for Life Dental Hygiene guide is available to support parents in caring for their baby's teeth. This digital support tool offers NHS-endorsed advice, and practical tips on maintaining good oral health.

The key messages grouped for 0-3 and pregnant women are:

• "Say goodbye to the bottle" which is about introducing free-flow cups
• "Protect their smile" which is a reminder for free NHS dental checks for under 18s
• "Twice a day" which is to encourage brushing your teeth twice a day
• "No need to rinse" which is to encourage children to spit not rinse as they get older
• "Avoid giving fruit juice and squash" which is about preventing tooth decay.
• "Skip the sugar" which is about avoiding food and drinks with too much sugar
• "Pregnancy smile" which is to inform pregnant women of available services

The key messages for children 3+ are:

• "Twice a day" which is to encourage brushing your teeth twice a day
• "Protect their smile" which is a reminder for free NHS dental checks for under 18s
• "Encourage them to spit not rinse" which is to encourage children to spit not rinse as they get older
• "Skip the sugar" which is about avoiding food and drinks with too much sugar