As soon as possible, a child should brush his or her own teeth to develop good oral hygiene habits. One to two minutes is the appropriate time, and a good way to reach that target is to use a timer.

Some toothbrushes have clever timers that play music, so the child knows to finish when the music stops. Also, new battery-operated tooth bushes are like toys and, therefore, can amuse children when they are brushing.

It is very important to check how effectively their cleaning is progressing. Coaching and demonstrating the appropriate technique is critical to the learning process.

The most important time to brush is before going to bed. This not only gives the bacteria less to feast on, but also addresses the condition of reduced saliva flow.

Many of the same principles for adult brushing apply to children, such as brushing after sweets and, if that is not possible, then at least rinsing with water.

Again the techniques are similar to adult brushing and are the same whether an adult or the child does it. For small children, it may be easiest to cradle the head, leaving your other hand free for brushing.

Brushing

Most beginning brushers tend to miss the molars and the tongue sides of the teeth.

Place the toothbrush alongside the teeth. The bristle should be at a 45-degree angle.

Carefully brush in a small circular motion, cleaning one tooth at a time, and being careful not to miss any teeth.

Brush across the chewing surfaces, especially making sure the bristles reach the side of the teeth facing the tongue, and the inside of the top teeth.

Brush the tongue lightly to remove bacteria and keep the breath smelling fresh.

Assist the child in rinsing his or her mouth.

Flossing

Flossing should begin once any two teeth touch each other. Generally a child can begin successfully flossing in the eight- to nine-year-old range.

Take about eighteen inches of dental floss, and wrap one end around each of your middle fingers.

Using your thumbs and index fingers as guides, gently slide the floss between the teeth with a saw-like motion.

Once at the gum line, pull the floss tightly but gently and move it up and down against one tooth.

Pull the floss against the other tooth and repeat the motion.

Repeat this for all of the teeth. Be sure to floss the farthest sides of the back teeth.

The most important hygiene principles are learned through good examples.