Free Printable Tooth Brushing Charts For Toddlers
Why Use a Tooth Brushing Chart?
Does your child need some gentle encouragement to get them excited about looking after their teeth? A printable tooth brushing chart is the perfect solution to help your little one establish great dental hygiene habits that will last a lifetime.
A child tooth brushing chart is a fun way to track your youngster’s brushing habits and will help teach them that brushing is enjoyable as well as important.
Why is it important to brush our teeth?
Brushing teeth regularly removes the plaque and bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. The brushing process reduces the chance of your child developing holes in their teeth (dental cavities) and forms the basis of good oral hygiene.
How often should children clean their teeth?
Dentists recommend that children (and adults) brush their teeth twice every single day. The best times to brush are immediately after breakfast and last thing at night just before going to bed.
If you’re rushing about in the morning before school, or tired late at night, your child might forget to brush their teeth or need a little extra encouragement. That’s when a brushing teeth chart comes in handy!
Remember to always use toothpaste that’s suitable for your child’s age, and place a pea sized amount on the brush.
Your little one should brush along the teeth and gently along the gum line for about two minutes – you can use a fun clock or egg timer as a countdown or perhaps play your little one’s favourite two minute song to make sure they’re brushing for long enough.
Once your little one has finished brushing, ask them to spit out the toothpaste and don’t rinse with water.
Top Tip: A small, child-safe mirror can be useful to help your youngster see where they are brushing.
What are the benefits of a tooth brushing chart?
A teeth cleaning chart is a fantastic way to make sure your child practises healthy oral hygiene habits, but did you know there are other educational benefits of using a daily tooth brushing chart?
These benefits include:
- Practicing Fine motor skills
By coloring in the picture of a tooth on our free printable tooth brushing chart, your child is learning how to hold their pen and use their fine motor skills. Even if your child isn’t old enough to color in a picture of a tooth yet, placing a single mark or line on a teeth brushing chart is an early form of writing that helps develop a preschool child’s early motor skills.
- Emotional development
Each time your child records their progress on a chart for brushing teeth they are reinforcing a good routine and learning what’s expected of them. This in turn encourages positive emotional responses that form a crucial part of your little one’s social development.
- Mathematical skills
Children can count all the times they have brushed their teeth throughout the week using a free printable tooth brushing chart. They’ll also learn more about sequences and routines such as the time of day and days of the week.
- Literacy skills
Your child begins to develop literacy skills from a very young age, and even before they can read they will begin to understand that written words and images provide information to us. As your child gets older, a dental brushing chart can help them recognize and practise reading the words for each day of the week.
What’s included in our Free Printable Toothbrushing Charts for Toddlers
We’ve got three different colored tooth brushing reward charts in purple, blue or pink to choose from. On each free tooth brushing chart there is a grid that includes two teeth for each day of the week. You’ll find a column for AM with a picture of the sun, and column for PM with a picture of the moon, so you can help keep track of your child’s teeth brushing schedule both day and night.
How to Use Your Daily Toothbrushing Chart
Click to download your chart, then print onto white A4 paper or card for the best results. If you have access to a laminator, it’s a great idea to laminate the chart so you can wipe it clean and use it again every week. Don’t worry if you haven’t got a laminator – simply print the chart again when you need a new one, or place in a clear plastic folder or cover. You can print as many copies as you need, so that every child in your family has their own chart and a teeth brushing schedule to follow – adults can have their own chart too!
You can hang our brush your teeth chart for kids in the bathroom at your child’s eye level so they can reach the chart. You could also hang a wipe-able felt tip pen near the kids toothbrush chart so they can use it to mark off each time they clean their teeth.
Every time your little one brushes their teeth, ask them to color in a tooth on their brush your teeth printable chart. Younger children can make a mark on each tooth picture with a pen, or they could use a fun sticker instead.
Remember to always congratulate your youngster for brushing their teeth and keeping them nice and healthy. Your child will soon want to get a perfect score on their brushing chart every time!
You can offer rewards when they complete the chart, such as small toys, a new toothbrush or stickers. If you want to offer a bigger reward after completing several charts why not try a fun experience like a movie night?
At the end of each week, clean the chart with an old cloth ready to start again on Monday morning.
What else can I do to encourage my child to practice healthy tooth brushing habits?
If your little one has enjoyed our child tooth brushing chart, why not explore some of our magical tooth fairy resources? From personalized tooth fairy letters to delightful colouring pages, your little one will be inspired to keep their teeth shiny and clean whilst entering the wonderful and whimsical world of tooth fairies.