Dental health for babies and toddlers

Tooth decay is the most common dental disease affecting toddlers, children and young people in England. 

Every child who has teeth is at risk of tooth decay.

To help keep your baby or toddler's teeth healthy, you should:

• start brushing your child's teeth as soon as they appear (usually from around 5 months of age)
• brush your child’s teeth twice a day - the last thing before bed and at one other time during the day
• use a small brush with soft bristles and a smear of toothpaste - toothpaste should contain at least 1,000ppm of fluoride (up to 1,500ppm if recommended by your dentist)
• make sure children spit the toothpaste out after brushing but do not rinse their mouth
• introduce your child to drinking from a free-flow cup from 6 months and aim to stop bottle feeding by 1 year
• give milk and water as the best drinks for your child and their teeth
• provide a healthy balanced diet and limit sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes
• not add sugar or honey to your children’s drinks or food
• always ask for sugar-free medicines

Useful resources

Find out more about:

• taking care of children’s teeth
• NHFT’s oral health guide for children and parents - YouTube
• Dr Ranj Supertooth’s healthy teeth guides for children

Last updated 15 September 2025