The only difference between baby teeth and adult teeth is the size. Baby teeth have all the same properties and makeup as adult teeth, which unfortunately means they are susceptible to tartar buildup like adult teeth. Once tartar decides to make a home in their little mouths, the clock starts ticking before bad things start to happen. The research I’ve done will help you eliminate and get rid of (hopefully for good) tartar on your toddler’s teeth.
What Is Tartar?
Tartar is a hard shell made up of old food debris and bacteria in the mouth. However, it starts out soft. You may have noticed if you skip brushing your teeth once or twice your teeth develop a film on them? This film can be described as sticky or fuzzy. This soft stage is called plaque and it can be scraped off with your fingernail or brushed off with a good tooth brushing.
Your toddler gets this same sticky film if they don’t brush their teeth. Unlike adults though, they don’t care about how gross it feels. Their priorities don’t include good dental hygiene.
After a few days, if the plaque is allowed to stay on the teeth, it will eventually harden into a cement-like substance called Tartar.
This is why brushing your toddler’s teeth daily is vital. Yes, I know it’s a battle every time but we can do it!
You can recognize tartar buildup by its yellow color along where the teeth and gums meet. It bonds itself to the enamel of the teeth and holds on for dear life. The Dental Health Center suggests cleaning away the plaque as soon as possible before it turns into tartar.
Luckily there are things you can do to help your toddler along the way.
How To Prevent It
There are several ways to prevent tartar build-up from happening in your toddler’s mouth. Here are some things you can do to help them:
- Foods. Believe it or not, the food your toddler eats makes a big difference when it comes to plaque and tartar. Bacteria in toddlers’ mouths love sugary and starchy foods as well as soda. These foods will combine with the bacteria to create plaque and tartar. The good news is there are foods that will help stop this process. Apples and carrots are great at gently cleaning away the plaque on their teeth while they eat it. So keep those handy for your toddlers to eat throughout the day and in-between brushings. Plus they are healthy snacks!
- Flossing. While there are some toddlers who will allow you to floss their teeth, there are many that will not. For these kids, buy children’s flossers and let them try flossing on their own. Even if they don’t successfully floss a single tooth, it will teach them that flossing is important and they’ll eventually get the hang of it.
- Brushing. Ideally brushing twice a day is best but for toddlers, getting one good brushing a day is sufficient. Brushing can be done with either a toothbrush or a washcloth wrapped around your finger. You’ll want to make sure each tooth is rubbed.
- Water. When brushing isn’t possible, your toddler can swish with water. If they are a little older, they can gargle mouthwash.
- Dental visits. Even if you and your toddler have the best home routine down for dental hygiene, nothing replaces a good cleaning from the dentist. Their first visit should be around their first birthday. This will start them on the path to maintaining a healthy mouth.
Products We Love
Brushing your child’s teeth can and should be a fun experience and part of their daily routine. There are things you can incorporate into their lives to encourage them to have a healthy mouth free from plaque and tartar. These are the things we love that will help make teeth brushing a breeze:
Yue Motion Visual Sensory Timer
Yue Motion Visual Sensory Timer: Two minutes is the ideal amount of time to brush a toddler’s teeth. It will help them to visualize the time with this mesmerizing two-minute timer you can keep on the bathroom counter.
GrandLmoon Magnetic Brush Teeth Reward Chart
GrandLmoon Magnetic Brush Teeth Reward Chart: Your toddler will love adding glow in the dark stars to this chart every time they brush their teeth. Being able to see progress helps toddlers with tasks, especially ones they don’t love doing.
StarSmilez Kids Tooth Brushing Buddy
StarSmilez Kids Tooth Brushing Buddy: Toddlers love toys. With this tooth brushing buddy, your child can practice proper teeth brushing.
Tooth Brushing Books
Tooth Brushing Books: There are many different books for toddlers about brushing their teeth. I chose this one because it talks about the yucky bugs (plaque and tartar) that can collect and build up in their mouth if they don’t brush it away.
Jaunpy Unbreakable Cups for Kids Bathroom
Jaunpy Unbreakable Cups for Kids Bathroom: With this set of 4 reusable bathroom cups, each child can have their own. They’re unbreakable so you don’t have to worry about shattering glasses on your bathroom tile.
Toothbrush Holder Set
TROLIR Toothbrush Holder Set: This is a fun way for your toddler to store their toothbrushes that also frees up counter space. It’s a bright and eye-catching way to remind your child to brush their teeth.
Ultrasonic Electric Toothbrush
Ultrasonic Electric Toothbrush: This can be used if your toddler doesn’t want to use a traditional toothbrush. They may even want to use this several times a day because it looks like a fun toy.
grabease Double Sided Toothbrush
grabease Double Sided Toothbrush: Before your child starts using a traditional toothbrush, it’s a good idea to let them play around and experiment with something like this. It’s easy to grip, and no matter how they chew on it, their teeth get brushed. This can also be soothing on their gums if they are teething. Here is an article about other good teethers.
FridaBaby Triple-Angle Toothhugger Training Toothbrush
FridaBaby Triple-Angle Toothhugger Training Toothbrush: It’s hard for toddlers to twist their hands around to reach all the angles in their mouths that need to be brushed. They can’t mess up with this simple-to-use toothbrush. No matter how they brush, every tooth will be cleaned.
Orajel Elmo Fluoride-Free Training Toothpaste
Orajel Elmo Fluoride-Free Training Toothpaste: Training toothpaste is a great first toothpaste for toddlers. It has a sweet flavor your child will love. While they shouldn’t swallow it, it’s safe if they do. Check out our list for more baby and toddler toothpaste options.
Crayola GUM Kids’ Flossers
Crayola GUM Kids’ Flossers: To introduce your toddler to flossing, start them with these easy flossers they can practice with. Even if all they do is chew on them, the benefit is they will get to know how flossing feels in their mouth and eventually be able to incorporate it into their routine.
ACT Kids Anti-Cavity Flouride Rinse
ACT Kids Anti-Cavity Flouride Rinse: If your toddler can swish and spit, then mouthwash would be beneficial to add to their routine to keep those little mouths free of plaque and tartar. If they can’t yet spit, then gargling with water is perfectly acceptable.
Make It Fun
As soon as your baby gets their first tooth, it is a good time to make dental hygiene a part of their lives. Bring them to the dentist with you. This way they can observe you getting your teeth cleaned. They can even interact with the dentist so it isn’t a scary experience when it’s their turn in the chair.
Find a good time every day where your child can brush their teeth. After bath time, right before bed, or first thing in the morning are common times to fit in teeth brushing. Do what fits your schedule, just make sure it’s a regular part of their day.
Singing a song while you either rub their teeth with a washcloth or use a toothbrush will help pass the time as well. Here is a list of some 2-minute long songs you can sing to make it fun and help pass the time since 2 minutes can seem like an eternity to a toddler:
- ABC’s (if you sing this 3 times in a row, you’ll hit the 2-minute mark)
- Down By the Bay
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (sing this 3 times in a row)
- Apples and Bananas
- Hush Little Baby (sing this twice in a row)
Wrap Up
Even though baby teeth eventually fall out, it’s still serious if tartar builds up because it causes tooth decay and cavities. The best way of dealing with tartar is to prevent it in the first place while it’s still in the plaque stage and is easy to brush away. If you don’t catch it in time and it hardens, then a dentist is the solution. They can scrape the tartar off with dental tools. Don’t attempt to scrape your toddler’s teeth by yourself; let the professionals do what they do best.
With all the different toothbrushes, timers, charts, and tools on the market, it’s easy to keep your toddler’s mouth free from tartar. Remember, our children follow our example so either brush with them or let them watch you brush your teeth. Either way, make dental hygiene a family priority, this will instill lasting habits and ensure your toddler’s mouth stays squeaky clean.
