Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
To get kids to brush their teeth, turn the 2 minutes into a game: a short song, a timer made of «mouth quarters» and a star chart that rewards with praise instead of candy. Everything below is ready to use tonight.
Brushing well is a habit, and habits are learned by repeating things happily. Kids from 3 to 8 don't want to obey a clock, but they love to sing, copy Pigúiça and earn a star.
A song for brushing teeth (to the tune of «Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star»)
The lyrics are original, with 4 verses, one for each part of the mouth. Each verse takes about 15 seconds. Sing each one twice in a row and brushing lasts a perfect 2 minutes. You will find more tunes for everyday life on the kids' songs page.
Verse 1, top teeth: Top teeth, top teeth, here we go, / round and round and nice and slow. / Left side first and then the right, / shiny, shiny, clean and bright.
Verse 2, bottom teeth: Bottom teeth, it's your turn now, / brush them softly, show me how. / Up and down and round about, / get the crumbs and sugar out.
Verse 3, front teeth: Front teeth, front teeth, smile with me, / tiny circles, one, two, three. / Gentle brush and gentle hand, / now the smile looks really grand.
Verse 4, back teeth and tongue: Back teeth hiding, here I come, / now the tongue, and then we're done. / Spit it out and say hooray, / clean teeth for a brand new day.
A 2 minute timer with no clock
Split the mouth into 4 «quarters» of 30 seconds, the time of one verse sung twice. Agree in advance that the right side is the sun side and the left side is the moon side. Pigúiça shows the way:
- Quarter 1, top: Pigúiça cleans the top teeth on the sun side and then the moon side, like painting the roof of a house.
- Quarter 2, bottom: she slides the brush up and down the bottom teeth, nice and slow, like a playground slide.
- Quarter 3, the front: Pigúiça makes tiny circles on the smile while Fofuxo counts the teeth in the mirror.
- Quarter 4, back and tongue: she goes behind the teeth, where food loves to hide, and ends with a gentle stroke on the tongue.
When the fourth quarter is done, so are the 2 minutes. No clock needed.
The weekly star chart
Set it up in 5 minutes and stick it on the bathroom mirror, at your child's height:
- Take a sheet of paper and draw 7 columns, one for each day of the week, with the day's name on top.
- Add 2 rows: one with a sun for the morning and one with a moon for the night.
- After each brushing, your child draws or sticks a star in the little box.
- Praise with specific words: «You brushed all the way to the back, great job!» A hug is worth more than a treat.
- At the end of the week, celebrate with something sugar free: picking the bedtime story, a trip to the park or coloring a picture.
- If a box stays empty, no scolding. A new week starts, with brand new stars.
Why brush after meals
After eating, bits of food stay between the teeth and along the gums. Brushing after meals removes them before they can harm little teeth. When you can't brush after every meal, the minimum is morning and night, and the night one can't be skipped, because the mouth makes less saliva during sleep. If your child had juice or something very acidic, a sip of water helps right away and the brush can wait a little. To read more about sweets in all this, see sugar and children's behavior.
How much toothpaste, and until when adults help
- Ages 3 to 4: up to age 3, a smear the size of a grain of rice; from 3 on, the size of a pea. The adult brushes, and the child holds the brush afterward to practice.
- Ages 5 to 6: a pea-sized amount. The child brushes along with the song and the adult finishes, especially the back teeth.
- Ages 7 to 8: the child brushes alone and the adult checks at the end. Around this age, hands-on help can stop.
Teach your child to spit out the foam. Ask the dentist which toothpaste is best for your child's age.
What to do when your child refuses
Refusing is normal and it passes. No punishment, threats or shame: those only make the tantrums bigger.
- Offer choices: the color of the brush, the flavor of the paste, who brushes first.
- Brush together in front of the mirror. Kids copy what they see.
- Brush a teddy bear's teeth first, or Fofuxo's.
- Keep the same time every day so it becomes routine.
- If the fear is about the dentist, read when a child is afraid of the dentist.
If the refusal lasts for weeks or your child complains of pain, talk to the dentist.
Frequently asked questions
At what age can kids brush alone?
Around 7 to 8 they can do it, but an adult still checks, especially the back teeth.
How long should kids brush?
2 minutes, twice a day. The song and the four quarter timer make it easy to reach that time.
What if my child swallows a little toothpaste?
With the right amount (a grain of rice or a pea), a little swallowed by accident is expected. If your child swallows a lot, call the pediatrician.
Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
