- Brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste.
- Clean the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of every tooth.
- Use short, gentle, tooth-wide strokes, and tilt the brush up and down behind the front teeth.
- After brushing, spit out the extra toothpaste and rinse very little or not at all, so the fluoride stays on the teeth.
- Use the right amount of toothpaste: a smear the size of a grain of rice under age 3, and a pea-sized amount from 3 to 6. Young children need a grown-up to help or watch. If your child can’t spit yet, keep to these small amounts rather than rinsing.
Sources: ADA brushing guide, home oral care and fluoride for children; AAPD fluoride therapy. Based on guidance published by the ADA and AAPD; neither organization has reviewed or endorsed this app. Brushing the tongue is our own extra step.
Guidance reviewed October 2026.
This app provides general education and does not replace advice from your child’s dentist.