I’ve seen a lot of noise online about dental care in babies and children, so here’s the reality based on evidence—not opinion.
Tooth decay isn’t caused by gentle brushing. It’s caused by bacteria, sugars, and time.
Current guidance from organisations like the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry is very clear:
• Start cleaning teeth as soon as they appear
• Use a small amount of toothpaste
• Brush twice daily. After breakfast and before bed (last thing at night is essential)
This applies to children—and the same principles carry into adulthood and to be honest these have been in place for decades. So it is not a new guideline.
The advice is to not rinse the mouth with water after brushing the teeth. I personally prefer to rinse the mouth with plenty of clean water after brushing the teeth and did that with my own children.
The important part is to detach the anaerobic bacteria from the enamel surface and get rid of them.
What we’re actually seeing is high levels of preventable decay in young children.
This isn’t from “over-brushing”—it’s from inconsistent oral hygiene, frequent sugar exposure, and lack of early care.
I am retired from dental medicine, but my daughter works in dental medicine. Every day she comes home telling how children’s teeth are in bad shape due to parents not known the guidelines or not caring.
Young children simply don’t have the dexterity to brush properly, and they don’t yet have the awareness to understand the importance. That responsibility sits with the parent.
In my own case, I brushed my children’s teeth until they were around 11 years old. Not because I was being excessive—but because prevention is easier, better than treatment.
My children are now in the 20s and no filling or cavities in their teeth so far.
We’re seeing more decay in children not because of “over-care,” but because of inconsistent care and high sugar exposure in processed foods, snacks and even fruit. Sugar is everywhere – in natural foods and in salty processed food. Breast milk also contains sugar.
Baby teeth matter. They help children eat, speak, and guide adult teeth into the right position. When they’re neglected, it can lead to pain, infection, extractions, and long-term dental issues.
For adults, the story is the same: prevention is always easier (and cheaper) than treatment.
You don’t have to agree with everything you read online—but dismissing all professional guidance doesn’t change the biology of how decay works.
I’ll personally continue to follow evidence-based dental care—for both children and adults—because prevention isn’t a “theory,” it’s well-established science.
If you’re unsure, speak to a qualified dental professional rather than relying on social media debates.
I can assure you that hippie type of arguments I heard today such as – “my female divine self and materialist view of Descartes has an impact on our health” or an Indian man telling me teeth doesn’t need cleaning – “just eat raw food” and some other rubbish etc – are not going to stop tooth decay.
Tooth decay and even periodontal disease have a strong genetic component too — some of us are just more prone to problems no matter what. But that makes consistent, proper care even more important, not less.
Prevention really is so much easier than treatment.
All the noise online I read yesterday was comedy gold though. The hippie going on about “my divine feminine self and Descartes’ materialist view” affecting her teeth had me crying laughing. Darling, your spiritual awakening isn’t going to remineralise enamel.
There are some homeopathic solutions for remineralisation of enamel but that should be used when the loss of it hasn’t gone too far into the dentin and with watchful eyes ie: frequent checks.
I mean how long does one wait for the remineralisation of enamel without doing further damage?
And the Indian man confidently saying “just eat raw food, no need to brush”… yeah, good luck with that. Raw food diets haven’t exactly eradicated dental problems in history.
Common sense and actual research over vibes and raw carrot manifestos any day.