Brushing from the first milk tooth?
Yes — and by the parents, for longer than most people think.
Once the first milk tooth is there, daily dental care should begin. At first carefully, with no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and a soft brush, perhaps even with a cotton bud to begin with. Until the end of the second year of life, the milk teeth should be brushed with a small amount of toothpaste at least once a day – best of all before going to bed – using a special mini toothbrush with soft, multi-tufted, rounded bristles. From the second birthday at the latest, the teeth should as a rule be brushed twice a day, in the morning and in the evening before bed, with a small amount of children's toothpaste
Look for a fluoride content of about 500 ppm (parts per million). Too high a dose, such as the 1000 ppm in an adult toothpaste, can cause damage in the mouth. The particular properties of fluorides are what make them so important in preventing caries. They strengthen the redeposition of minerals in the enamel and make it less sensitive to acids. Whether it is sodium fluoride, potassium fluoride or another fluorine compound plays a minor part
Technique matters for a good cleaning result. There are various methods, of which the KAI method is particularly well suited to children, especially when they are to learn correct brushing
K = clean the chewing surfaces (Kauflächen). The chewing surfaces are cleaned with horizontal back-and-forth movements of the brush
A = clean the outer surfaces (Außenflächen). The outer surfaces of the teeth are cleaned with small circular movements of the brush
I = inner surfaces (Innenflächen). The inner surfaces of the teeth are brushed from the gum towards the tooth with small circular movements
Even though small children are not yet able to remove plaque properly and parents have to brush after them well into school age, brushing themselves regularly is indispensable, so that dental care becomes a matter of course and second nature. That includes cleaning the spaces between the teeth with floss or interdental brushes. After brushing in the evening, nothing but water should be taken