“How long should my child be brushing their teeth?”
My daughter brushes her teeth very quickly, just a little under a minute. I realized this the other day right before she went to school. I know that she should definitely be brushing them longer, but what's the recommended time?
23 Answers
It is recommended to brush the teeth for 2 minutes. Make sure that all surfaces of all teeth are being brushed, especially back molar teeth and the area along the gumline. Use soft bristled toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste. It is sometimes helpful to use a timer when brushing, such as an hourglass or cell phone timer. Some electric toothbrushes also have built-in timers that shut off the toothbrush when the proper amount of brushing time has been reached.
Dr. Alan Bruce Steiner
Dentist | General Practice
Let their dental hygienist observe the child while brushing and teach them. One size does not fit all.
Make an appointment for professional cleaning for your child. The dental hygienist will show her how to brush properly, among other things
Recommended time is 2 minutes. Buy her a timer, even an old school sand timer, or let her listen to 1 song on the radio. quick brushing is common in kids, help teach them good habits at a young age, reap the benefits later.
Recommended time for brushing is 2 min 30 sec each qaudrant. Might be useful to brush your tongue for another 30 seconds. And, don't forget to floss.
2 minutes and a timer always helps to accomplish this.
Ideally brushing for 2 minutes (1 minute each arch of the mouth). I recommend a timer for brushing, also you can download an app for an ipod/tablet that will track their brushing and time them.
Ideally for an adult it is recommended to brush for two minutes if you are doing it correctly. I would be happy if your child could brush for one minute. Try and use some sort of timer the child could watch
It depends on the amount of teeth the child has at the time. For a 1 - 1 1/2 year old I recommend between 1 minute and 30. As the child gains more teeth then you increase the time. A patient with a full set of adult teeth or children with mix dentition (primary teeth mixed with adult teeth) should brush for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends 2X2 (2 minutes of brushing twice to day). I hope that this helps you in achieving optimal dental health.
2 minutes of full brushing inside and outside top and bottom Jaws.
Standard brushing protocol is twice a day for two minutes.
Everyone should brush their teeth for two minutes, especially at night.
Try getting an our glass that may be two minutes long and making it a game with your child. Secondly have your child brush your teeth while you brush their teeth so a better job can be done. Try maybe an electric toothbrush they may like this much better and it may do a better job. To me it’s not so much the time but how efficient the job is that the child is doing
Best Regards,
Dr. Mark Berkowitz
Best Regards,
Dr. Mark Berkowitz
The recommended time is 2-4 minutes. We recommend listening to their favorite song while brushing to keep track of time.
The recommended time is a minute on the top teeth and a minute on the bottom. Get a small timer for them and leave it in the bathroom. Tell them to set it for 2 minutes and brush. This makes it a game!
This is a very interesting question. We never think about whether there is a proper length of time to brush our teeth, and also we don't consider that there is a proper amount of force to be applied to the brush. If we don't brush thoroughly, we get cavities and gum disease. If we brush too hard, we get receding gums and damage to the teeth and bone. To handle both of these considerations I recommend to my patients of all ages to invest in an Oral B electric tooth brush that comes with built in two minute timer and a stress gauge. This brush pauses every thirty seconds signaling it's time to change quadrants, and has an extended pause at two minutes signaling it is time to stop. If too much pressure is applied, the handle lights red. Brilliant. I use this brush as do each of my grown daughters.
Neal Nealis, DDS
Neal Nealis, DDS
Same 2 minute that is recommended for adults
Two minutes is ideal, twice a day.
The recommended time to brush your teeth is 2 minutes. Two suggestions: get a kitchen timer and set it for 2 minutes, or get a Sonicare or Oral B mechanical toothbrush. Both have built-in timers so there is no way you can miss the two-minute mark (unless you deliberately cheat).
Two minutes would be ideal but one minute is still acceptable if she is getting to all of the right areas of her mouth. Technique is important. Try to avoid sugary breakfast cereals and other high sugar foods, Brushing the tongue gently is also helpful for decreasing bacteria in the mouth which cause bad breath.
At least two minutes. Don’t rush. Use a sand timer for children so they can see when the sand is at the bottom.
Yes! You are right, the recommended time is 2 minutes. You can buy a timer on line or use a dental brushing app that assist them in brushing the full two minutes.
This depends upon the age and maturity of your child. Very young children should be encouraged to brush for 60-90 seconds. This should be followed by parental evaluation of mouth cleanliness maybe even parental re-brushing if necessary. Older children should brush for at least 4 minutes or so.
