Teaching children how to brush effectively takes patience, practice, and example. Let's take a closer look at some of the things you should do to help teach your children to brush effectively:

    Start cleaning teeth as soon as the first tooth appears. Wipe daily with a clean, damp cloth; use a small, soft toothbrush for more teeth. If you start out practicing good dental hygiene, your child will be more likely to understand its importance, and thus, brush more effectively.
    Continue the cycle of cleaning teeth. At age 2, use a small, pea-sized dab of an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste (unless recommended otherwise by your doctor or dentist), and help your child brush his or her teeth. You can lay them down and brush for them, or you can let them brush for themselves, and then do a quick re-brush.
    Help their brushing be more effective by using the right toothbrush for their mouth size. Also, use a soft bristled brush.
    Teach them to brush the inside surface of each tooth first, where plaque may accumulate most. Brush gently back and forth. Show them how, then let them do it themselves.
    Clean the outer surfaces of each tooth. Angle the brush along the outer gum line. Gently brush back and forth. Show them by doing it for them while having them look in the mirror. Then, let them do it, and give some pointers and a lot of praise.
    Teach them to then Brush the chewing surface of each tooth. Gently brush back and forth. By showing each part of brushing in steps, your child will learn to brush their teeth systematically, which will lead to more effective brushing, and better dental habits.
    Next show them how to use the tip of the brush to clean behind each front tooth, both top and bottom.
    It is important as a part of proper and effective brushing that you teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and rinse well after brushing. If you don't, the fluoride in the toothpaste can cause staining on their teeth.
    Let them brush their tongue as well, and make it fun

Once you have practiced proper brushing technique with them, you can teach children to brush more effectively by doing the following:
    Try brushing side by side with your child. This helps them feel more a part, as well as like a big kid. Brushing with them is also a great way to model excellent dental hygiene habits. Involve other family members as well so that when you aren't home to do it, their teeth do not get neglected.
    Communicate. If you take a few moments to explain the benefits of good brushing, such as that your child will have a bright smile, a germ free mouth, healthy teeth now and in the future, etc. your child will be more excited to do a good job with brushing. However, be careful to never use a visit to the dentist as a scare tactic.
    Check for mouth injuries. Sometimes children do not brush effectively because it hurts. This could be for a variety of reasons, they may have been using too hard of bristles, brushed too hard before which caused their gums to swell, or another unrelated injury. However, if you make them brush with an injured mouth, they will be less likely to want to brush. 
    Make sure the toothbrush is the right size. Part of ineffective brushing is due to the toothbrush itself, it may be too old, or the wrong size for the child's mouth.

Brushing your teeth properly can make a world of difference when it comes to the health of your teeth and gums. Many children are not taught effective teeth brushing techniques, or fail to use them because they are impatient, and the result is that poor brushing habits continue on into their adult life. The following are some tips for proper brushing. If followed these tips will help you to have more effective teeth brushing experiences.

Effective teeth brushing techniques include the following:
    Angle of your toothbrush. You may be surprised to find that the angle in which you hold your toothbrush greatly affects the effectiveness of your teeth brushing. So, the correct way to hold your toothbrush is at a 45-degree angle against your gumline. Gently brush from where the tooth and gum meet to the chewing surface in short strokes. Remember though, your goal is to remove things from the gumline, not shove food, plaque, and bacteria up there, so brush away from the gumline.
    Brush softly, this is not an attack. Brushing too hard can cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity, and, over time can cause you to loose teeth. So, don't go at it, rather with a light hand, and a newer toothbrush, gently brush away food particles etc.
    Use the same method as described above to brush all outside and inside surfaces of your teeth. Don't forget the inside of your teeth are just as important as the outside, neglecting them can lead to cavities, pain, etc.
    To clean the chewing surfaces of your teeth, you will use a different method. What you want to do is use short sweeping strokes, and as you near the edges of your teeth, tip the bristles into the pits and crevices. This will give you a better all around clean
    Clean inside top and bottom front teeth. This can be difficult, what you need to do in order to clean the inside surfaces of your top and bottom front teeth and gums, is hold the brush almost vertical. Then move the tooth brush in back and forth motions, bring the front part of the brush over the teeth and gums.
    Part of effective teeth brushing is also brushing your tongue, as it too can carry bacteria. Using a forward-sweeping motion, gently brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove the decay-causing bacteria. This is important, so don't skip this step. It also helps you to have better breath. This is a good place to scrub a little harder.
    Brush your teeth for a minimum of two minutes. If you find you get bored, or have trouble keeping track of time, use an egg timer, burn a song that is the exact length of time you want to brush, and play it, watch a set of commercials, etc.  There are some toothbrushes that actually come with timers on them, just be sure to set it.
Even if you have an electric toothbrush, it is important to follow the above advice for tooth brushing. If you follow these tips you will have a happier, healthier mouth as you will be using more effective teeth brushing techniques.

Many of us try to save money in our everyday purchases by buying the generic brands or by using coupons, or alternative products. When it comes to items like Cheerios versus Toasty O's many can not see much of a difference. However, the question is, "Cheap versus expensive toothpaste, does it really make a difference?"

The answer: Yes and no. Obviously it is going to depend on what type of cheap toothpaste you are getting. If you are talking about getting Colgate or Crest instead of a much more expensive brand, like Opalescence, then you will probably find that there is not a lot of difference. Much of the difference in brands of toothpaste comes from what sort of breath fresheners are added, the taste, and the packaging, not the actual cleaning agents for our teeth.

However, if you are buying the dollar store, knock off variety of Crest and Colgate, instead of the real thing, it is important to recognize that it does make a difference. There have been some investigation and reports that have indicated that many of the dollar store knock offs of Crest, Colgate and other brand name toothpastes weren't the same as the brands they were knocking off. In fact, many of these toothpastes are manufactured in other countries and are not approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). In fact, some are not only not as effective, but are potentially harmful. How? Well, some of these cheap toothpastes are made for foreign countries that do not have fluoride in water, and thus the fluoride in the toothpaste is up to ten times stronger than what we're allowed in the U.S. (prescription strength). So, if you were to swallow any of this, or if your child was to, you could be slowly poisoning yourself.

Obviously not every brand of cheap toothpaste is going to have this effect, and not all of them are bad for you. However, if you are going to buy the cheap stuff, make sure you check to see that it was made in the USA and is ADA approved. Otherwise, you may be slowly poisoning your children.

What are the differences between the cheap toothpaste and the expensive toothpaste:
1.    Taste: most expensive toothpastes are engineered to taste better, with mint, spearmint, orange, berry, and many other variety of options. Generally the cheap toothpaste come in mint, and probably not the yummiest variety of mint. But toothpaste is not for eating, so you will probably manage.
2.    Packaging: there are all sorts of easy dispense toothpaste containers on the market. Many of the more expensive brands come in easy and unique packages. The cheap toothpaste usually only comes in a tube.
3.    Extras: most "cheap" toothpaste is simply toothpaste. The "expensive" brands come loaded with extra features, everything from long lasting breath fresheners, mouthwashes, and whitening agents. So, if your goal is clean teeth, the cheap brand is just fine.
4.    Branding: much of the expense of the expensive toothpaste comes from the advertising, and other methods of branding. With the cheap toothpaste you get to clean your teeth, and not pay extra because of the advertising.

In many cases the generic toothpaste is pretty much the same as the expensive toothpaste. Just be careful not too get one that is potentially harmful. Otherwise, go ahead, save some money. Or, buy the name brand without all the bells and whistles.

Toothbrushes today come in every shape and size that can be imagined.  The variations are nearly endless with tapered heads, boxy heads, angled heads; neon handles, and handles with bending rubber and handle that sport an image of a favorite cartoon character or super hero.  Looking at all of these choices in the range of toothbrushes can leave a potential consumer dizzy and confused just by trying to make a simple choice of a toothbrush. To begin with all brushes are made basically the same way.  An average brush has approximately 2,500 bristles grouped into tufts.  The tufts are folded over a metal staple and forced into pre-cored holes in the head and fixed in place. The handle is normally made of plastic and rubber for comfort and shaped to fit the hand at the right angle comfortably.  The question becomes with all of these choices-How to choose a toothbrush that is best for you.  Here are a few helpful tips-

1.    Consider the bristles as the most important part of the toothbrush.  Choose soft nylon bristles when purchasing a toothbrush.  These types of bristles are known to last longer and will not hurt gums even after vigorous brushing.  The toothbrush should also have three bristle rows in width and have a thumb wide in length. Bristles should be a normal hardness.  If the bristles are too soft they won't be effective enough and to hard will make it painful to brush.  The bristles on a toothbrush should always be untinted, transparent bristles as well.
2.    Make sure the brush head is small enough to access hard to reach areas.  It stands to reason if the toothbrush is too big to get into the mouth you won't be using it.
3.    A toothbrush does not just consist of bristles.  Toothbrushes with simple straight handles are recommended when choosing a toothbrush.  When a handle is bent, it is difficult to apply a toothbrush onto the back of the second molar of the upper jaw.  This is the most difficult teeth to clean as the bent portion of the handle touches with the inside of the cheek and lips. Also it is important to make sure the handle is free of protrusions (trademarks etc).  Any protrusion on a handle will disturb free movement of a thumb, which is necessary to clean the right and the left sides of a row of the teeth.
4.    Consider buying an electric toothbrush.  While there is not definitive evidence that an electric toothbrush works better than a conventional toothbrush many people prefer them.  This leads to the user brushing longer which promotes better oral health.  In addition many people who are handicapped or who wear braces may prefer an electric toothbrush.

It is important to note that a toothbrush should be replaced once every three months or sooner if it appears to have become worn. Also a toothbrush should be changed after recovering from an infection during which bacteria in the mouth and saliva might have attached to the toothbrush.  This will not only promote better oral health but stop the infection from continually occurring.

Once you have chosen the correct toothbrush for you, your oral hygiene plan needs to be diligently maintained.  The dental recommendation is that brushing should occur between 3 and 4 minutes at least twice a day.  Many people find this easiest to establish as a habit once in the morning and right before bed.  The toothpaste along with fluoride toothpaste (no more than the size of a pea) becomes your best tools in the dental hygiene arsenal for achieving that smile of pearly whites.

Fluoride enhanced toothpaste, how effective is it really?

There is much debate over whether or not fluoride does more harm than good when it comes to toothpaste. Although the American Dental Association says that in the last 50 years that there has been a significant drop in tooth decay due to increased use of fluoride enhanced toothpaste, and recommends that all people over two years of age should brush with a fluoride enhanced toothpaste, others still disagree. So, you have the ADA saying you would be stupid not to use fluoride enhanced toothpaste, however, on the other hand you have the FDA issuing warnings against the dangers that can result from fluoride toothpaste and supplements.

In the case of the FDA warnings however, it is for improper use of such products, as well as ingesting too much of them. With fluoride enhanced toothpaste, you are not meant to swallow the paste, simply use it topically on the surfaces of your teeth. The problems with toothpaste generally come from ingestion. The fluoride in toothpaste is meant to be applied to the surface of the teeth and not consumed, but even if small amounts are consumed it is said to be safe. (Obviously, or we would not be allowed to use it).  

Toothpaste containing fluoride has been used since 1960, and the reason for the ADA's unfaltering support of fluoride enhanced toothpaste is that since that time there has been a significant drop in the level of cavities. This drop is found in those who use fluoride enhanced toothpastes.  This is a pretty big deal, and clearly if the difference is only the toothpaste used, then fluoride has a use. In fact, when used properly, fluoride enhanced toothpaste is very effective at warding off tooth decay. The fluoride helps make teeth stronger, and contributes greatly to less bacteria living in your mouth and creating rot.

However, as with any supplement (which is essentially what enhanced means) there are dangers to using fluoride enhanced toothpaste improperly.  Fluoride in toothpaste is intended for topical application only, so clearly it should not be swallowed. That is one of the reasons it is not recommended for children. Children tend to swallow much of their toothpaste when brushing, where as adults do not. You should also be sure to rinse after brushing so as not to intake any more fluoride than you have to. If you are worried, or if your child eats too much toothpaste, contact poison control.

So, to answer the question, Fluoride enhanced toothpaste, how effective is it really? You will see that fluoride, although helpful, will not prevent tooth decay unconditionally, and does pose some serious risks.  Fluoride should not be used to supplement the effects of a poor diet loaded with sugar and sweets, or improper brushing and flossing. However, fluoride combined with good oral hygiene can help you strengthen your teeth against unwanted bacteria and plaque. will not change the consequences of a poor diet nor will it fight already existing damage.