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Guidelines for good oral health

Children 

Children can maintain good oral health by:

• brushing baby teeth as soon as they come through with a smear of toothpaste and small headed toothbrush, twice a day
• children under 6 years should use a toothpaste that contains at least 1000ppm of fluoride or use a family strength fluoride toothpaste that contains between 1350-1500ppm fluoride
• use a pea sized amount of toothpaste for 3 years and above and a smear of toothpaste for under 3 years after brushing children should be encouraged to spit out toothpaste rather than rinse it off with water 
• babies should be encouraged to drink from a free flow cup from 6 months of age. Parents and carers should aim to stop feeding from a baby bottle from the age of one year 
• only breast milk, infant formula and cooled boiled water should be given in a bottle

Adults

Adults can maintain good oral health by:

• brushing your teeth for 2 minutes at least twice a day, the most important time to brush your teeth is last things at night or before you go to bed
• after brushing your teeth spit out the toothpaste rather than rinsing it off with water or mouthwash
• if you choose to use mouthwash, use it at a separate time to brushing your teeth 
• use a toothpaste that contains between 1300-1500ppm of fluoride in it
• clean between your teeth with “interdental” brushes or floss once a day 

Diet

Diet helps to maintain good oral health, you should:

• cut down on sugary food and drinks in between meals
• stick to drinking plain milk and plain water in between meals
• snack on foods that are naturally sugar free e.g. cheese, crackers, savoury sandwiches etc

Visiting a dentist

You should visit a dentist for:

• regular dental check-ups, as often as your dentist recommends between 3-24 months 
• dental treatments
• regular fluoride varnish application for children

If you do not have a dentist, you can use this link to help you find an NHS dentist 

Where can I find out more?

To see what is being done locally to improve oral health please visit The 51��¥ Oral Health Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more information on how to look after your teeth and gums please visit:

•  has tips and ideas for cutting down on sugary foods and drinks and has resources to help support a switch to healthier eating and drinking choices
• For information on how on how to do a self- examination for mouth cancer see:

For more detailed advice about how to keep your mouth healthy please visit your dentist.

Urgent Dental Care 

People who do not have their own dentist but have an urgent dental problem should call the urgent dental triage line on 01905 681626 for further advice, the lines are open from 09:00am to 12:00pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours call 111.

Please be aware that following triage you may not be offered an appointment. All face-to-face dental appointments are by appointment only.

If you attend a general dental practice, please contact your practice for further advice.