Tooth Brushing Chart | Sesame Street in Communities

How often should a child brush their teeth? It is recommended by the American Dental Association to brush at least twice a day for two minutes, once in the morning and once at night before bed.

To help you keep their tooth brushing on track, print out this tooth brushing chart, and hang it at kids’ eye level near the sink where they brush their teeth. Allow a child to track how often they brush their teeth by encouraging them to fill in the chart. 

It is important to start brushing teeth regularly from an early age, not just because kids need to keep their teeth clean and healthy right then, but also because starting brushing habits young can lead to continual, regular maintenance of healthy teeth and gums throughout the rest of their lives.

This chart provides a way for children to track their brushing and provides an incentive to keep up the habit so they can see the chart filled out. This should hopefully motivate them to continue brushing their teeth as recommended.

It also gives children a chance to consider other things they’ve done to keep their teeth healthy, like eating fruits and vegetables, drinking water or flossing. While these behaviors aren’t able to be marked on the chart, you can have the conversations with children to make them more aware of what impact their behaviors have on their teeth, focusing on the good and not just the bad. Encourage them to care for their teeth in any way they can. When they fill out this first chart, print another to continue the progress towards teeth cleanliness.

With proper encouragement, children can maintain their dental health habits out of childhood and into adulthood, leading to better dental health as they grow and their dental needs change. Keep healthy habits to have a clean and healthy smile!