Supporting small smiles at home

Helping your child build good dental habits from an early age sets them up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. As a parent, you play a key role in making oral care feel normal, positive, and even fun.

This page is full of simple resources, ideas, and activities to support you at home — from toothbrushing tips to games and learning tools — all designed to help your child feel confident about looking after their teeth.

Dental check ups & home care

Regular dental check-ups are an important part of keeping your child’s teeth and gums healthy. We recommend bringing your child to the dentist as soon as their first tooth appears, and continuing with regular visits as advised by your dental team.

Check-ups help us:

Spot any early signs of tooth decay
Monitor how your child’s teeth are developing
Help your child feel comfortable in a dental environment

At home, small daily habits make a big difference. You can support your child by:

Brushing their teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
Supervising brushing until they’re confident (usually around age 7)
Limiting sugary snacks and drinks, especially before bedtime
Making brushing part of a consistent routine

You can download our toothbrushing chart and visual timetable tool below to help keep things fun and encourage consistency.

Tooth brushing chart

Visual timetable

Reading

Books are a great way to introduce dental care in a relaxed and engaging way. Reading stories about visiting the dentist or brushing teeth can help children understand what to expect and reduce any worries.

It’s also a lovely way to start conversations and build positive associations with oral health.

Take a look at our recommended books below to support your child’s learning in a fun and familiar format. These are also all available on Kindle Unlimited.

Rexy the dinosaur

My friend Toothy

Roman visits the dentist

The tooth book

Who likes to brush his teeth?

Playing dental games

Tooth brushing tuff tray

Learning through play is one of the most effective ways for children to build confidence and understanding. Dental-themed games can help children become more familiar with teeth, brushing, and visiting the dentist.

You could try:

Role-playing as the dentist using toy kits
Practising brushing on toys or models
Using play dough to create “teeth” and practise cleaning them
Setting up fun, hands-on activities using a tuff tray and resources

We’ve included two tuff tray ideas and resources below to help you get started and make dental care feel fun and interactive.

Food sorting tuff tray

Worksheets & morning activities

Simple activities can be a great way to build dental awareness into your child’s daily routine. Whether it’s a quick worksheet in the morning or a fun colouring activity, these small moments help reinforce positive habits.

Our downloadable worksheets are designed to:

Teach children about teeth in an age-appropriate way
Encourage good brushing habits
Make learning about oral health enjoyable

They’re perfect for quiet time, morning routines, or even as part of a reward system alongside brushing.