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How to Clean Dirty Teeth

Without proper care, your teeth are at risk of decay and gum disease. Cleaning your teeth should be a routine undertaking at least once per day, requring a step-by-step procedure to banish bacteria and plaque that cause decay and disease. Cleaning dirty teeth is essential for everyone, even infants who are just beginning to develop teeth.

Things You'll Need

  • Wet washcloth
  • Soft child's toothbrush
  • Water
  • Dental floss
  • Fluoride toothpaste
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Instructions

  1. Infants to Age 2

    • 1

      Wipe the baby's gums gently with a wet washcloth to remove food residue and bacteria.

    • 2

      Brush new teeth with a soft child's toothbrush and water. Angle the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line and apply the bristles to the inside and outside surfaces of the teeth in small, circular motions. Clean the chewing surfaces of the teeth with back-and-forth motions.

    • 3

      Pull off approximately 18 inches of dental floss and wrap each end around your middle fingers, leaving about 3 inches between your fingers.

    • 4

      Grasp the dental floss in between your fingers with your index fingers and thumb and gently slide it up and down in between the child's teeth a few times before removing. Do not cut into the gum line with the floss.

    Age 2 and Over

    • 5

      Place a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on the head of a soft or medium-bristle toothbrush.

    • 6

      Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line and brush top and bottom teeth with small, circular motions. Brush the inside of the top and bottom teeth in the same way. Brush with back-and-forth motions on the teeth's chewing surfaces, making sure to tip the bristles into the crevices of the teeth.

    • 7

      Rinse the mouth with water and expel it into the sink. Pull off approximately 18 inches of dental floss and wrap each end around your middle fingers, leaving about 3 inches in between your fingers.

    • 8

      Grasp the dental floss in between your fingers with your index fingers and thumb and gently slide it up and down in between two teeth. Curve the dental floss around the front of one of the teeth and slide it gently up and down. Repeat on the other tooth.

    • 9

      Remove the floss from in between your teeth, using an up-and-down motion to dislodge it. Unwind the floss from one of your middle fingers as you wind the used part onto your other finger so that you will have a clean piece of floss to use next.

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