Dental health

Good mouth and dental health allows you to speak, eat, breathe and smile confidently without pain, discomfort or embarrassment. Most dental problems are preventable and can be treated in their early stages by following a good dental health routine.

Easy Read

Read information about dental health in Easy Read.

Advice for babies, toddlers and young children

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.

Here are some top tips to help keep your children’s teeth healthy.

For babies and toddlers' teeth (from approximately 5 months to 3 years)

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 - this should be 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 on their brush - toothpaste should contain at least 1,000ppm of fluoride (and up to 1,500ppm if recommended by your dentist)
After brushing, children should spit the toothpaste out but 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
Milk and water are the best drinks for your child and their teeth
Provide a healthy balanced diet for your child, limit sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes
Do not add sugar or honey to your children’s drinks or food
Always ask for sugar-free medicines

For children’s teeth (3 to 6 years)

Adults should supervise children under 7 years old when cleaning their teeth
Encourage your child to brush their teeth twice a day - this should be the last thing before bed and at one other time during the day
Use a pea sized amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush - toothpaste should contain at least 1,000ppm of fluoride (and up to 1,500ppm if recommended by your dentist)
After brushing, children should spit the toothpaste out but not rinse their mouth
Provide a healthy balanced diet for your child and limit sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes
Download a toothbrushing diary for your child and encourage them to complete it everytime they brush their teeth
Download the free Brush DJ App – The app plays two minutes of music to time brushing and sets reminders for brushing and visiting the dentist

Advice for older children and adults

Children aged 7+ years and adults should:

brush their teeth twice a day - this should be the last thing before bed and at one other time during the day
brush teeth for 2 minutes with a toothpaste containing between 1,350 and 1,500ppm of fluoride
use a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush
after brushing, spit out the toothpaste but do not rinse mouth with water
eat a healthy balanced diet and limit sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes only
use dental floss or interdental brushes from recommended 12 years of age if there are signs of gum disease

Dentures

If you have dentures (false teeth):

it is as important to look after your mouth, even if you wear dentures
use toothpaste (containing between 1,350 and 1,500ppm of fluoride) to clean any natural teeth, mouth and gums twice a day

Find out more about dentures.

How to find a dentist

Visit the NHS website to find a local dentist.

If you are unable to find a dentist and want to raise a concern about this contact the Northamptonshire ICB patient experience team at [email protected].

Your local Healthwatch may also be able to give you information about services in your area or raise a concern if you have one.

Find out more about:

Visiting the dentist

Everyone should regularly visit a dentist for a check-up, not just when in pain. A check-up allows the dentist to see if you have any dental problems and helps you keep your mouth healthy. Leaving problems untreated could make them more difficult to treat in the future, so it's best to deal with problems early, or, if possible, prevent them altogether.

The time between check-ups can vary from 3 months to 2 years, or up to 1 year if aged under 18, depending on how healthy your teeth and gums are and your risk of future problems.

From the age of 3, children should be offered fluoride varnish application at least twice a year for added protection against tooth decay. Once your child's permanent back teeth have started to come through (usually at the age of about 6 or 7) fissure sealants can be done to protect them against decay.

Ask your dentist about fluoride varnish or fissure sealing for your children - it's free.

NHS dental care is free for:

pregnant mothers and for 12 months after the birth of a child
children and young people up to the age of 18
young people up to age of 19 if they are in full time education

Some adults are able to get free dental care or help with costs of care. Find out more about getting help with health costs.

Urgent treatment

If you think you need urgent care, contact your usual dentist as they will offer emergency dental slots.

You can also contact NHS 111 who can put you in touch with an urgent dental service.

Special needs

If you are unable to access the general dentist, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) has a:

This includes those who may have special needs, learning disabilities, significant health problems or other issues.

You can contact them on 03000 274 836.

Oral cancer

Oral cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK and accounts for 2% of all cancers diagnosed. Known risk factors include smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol and infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV).

Find out more about support to stop smoking, drugs and alcohol.

Useful resources

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Last updated 07 November 2024