Tooth Brushing Chart | Sesame Street in Communities – PBS LearningMedia

How often does your 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. Print out this page and hang it at kids’ eye level near the sink where kids brush their teeth. Allow your child to track how often they brush their teeth and encourage them to fill up the chart. 

It is important to start brushing your teeth regularly from an early age, not just because you need to keep your teeth clean and healthy right then, but also because starting your brushing habits young can lead to continual regular maintenance of your teeth throughout the rest of your life. 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 by 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 your child to make them more aware of what impact their behaviors have on their teeth, focusing on the good and nod 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!