"With sadness I must admit that morning and evening tooth‑brushing does not happen effectively in every home. One brushing is simply skipped, or the classic scenario — the child is pushed into the bathroom with a toothbrush and expected to manage alone, but the child doesn't know how," said Dr. Anastassia Kuldmaa, member of the Tallinn Dental Clinic and the Estonian Dental Association board.

Experiences from other countries show, Kuldmaa said, that tooth‑brushing under the supervision of a responsible adult is very effective and strongly supports oral hygiene at home.

A fresh study was published, tracking 600 five‑year‑olds across Estonia. "Children were selected by kindergarten groups. The results have gotten slightly worse compared to the 2018 study. Simple counseling is not enough — changing behavior is very difficult. An adult who does not brush carefully themselves will not monitor the child's brushing to ensure the full two minutes."

Dentists have decided to step in to help children. "Two‑thirds of five‑year‑olds need dental treatment. Children snack too much, there is too much food around us, it is too tempting and too easily accessible. At home, not enough attention is paid to removing dental plaque," the dentist noted.

A child mirrors the home — reflecting the family's behavior patterns in eating, hygiene, and everything else. "Supervised tooth‑brushing, which we hope to expand to all kindergartens, would become a mandatory part of the educational program, just like hand‑washing and basic hygiene practices. We help parents by taking tooth‑brushing partly out of their control, because a child cannot be responsible for whether their mother or father considers oral hygiene important. Since we cannot reach every home to stand beside the child, kindergartens will have an additional brushing session where the teacher supervises two minutes of brushing and ensures the toothbrush actually stays in the mouth for those two minutes. This produces wonderful results."

In Scotland, they managed within ten years to get practically all children brushing their teeth in kindergarten, and children's dental treatment costs dropped nearly threefold. "England has now adopted the same system, and they already see a downward trend," Kuldmaa said.

Kindergartens have generally given positive feedback. "We provide all toothbrushes, stickers, toothbrush holders — the teacher only needs to follow the instructions, and usually they do. Sometimes parents intervene, worrying that a third brushing might wear down the teeth too much. Overall, we receive very positive feedback."

A toothbrush should be replaced every three months, or earlier if the bristles become frayed. "I recommend an electric toothbrush — it makes brushing easier. Teeth should ideally be brushed half an hour after eating, but the important thing is to brush at all, and if that's not possible, brushing immediately after eating is fine. On rushed mornings, brushing before breakfast is a good option," the dentist noted.

Teeth need rest, and the biggest problem right now is snacking. "Three hours between meals, and during the break only plain water — not cucumber water or berry water. In the evening, the toothbrush should be the last thing that goes into the mouth."

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