By the age of two-and-a-half, all the ‘baby’ teeth will probably have come through.

Taking care of your toddler’s teeth is important.  Set a good example by letting him see you clean your teeth every day. Clean his teeth twice a day using a soft brush and just a smear of baby toothpaste.

Baby toothpastes are specially formulated with lower levels of fluoride than adult’s. However, ideally these toothpastes should still contain no less than and no more than 1,000 parts per million of fluoride so always check the packaging. Your dentist may recommend fluoride supplements, or using an adult toothpaste, in areas where the fluoride content in the tap water is low.

Try to use a circular ‘scrub’ technique when brushing, ideally around each tooth –easier said than done with a wriggly toddler, but it gives you something to aim for!

Sticky sweets and drinks play a large part in tooth decay, so encourage your toddler to have drinks from a cup, not a bottle, and always dilute fruit juices well – one part fruit juice to ten parts water until one year old, then gradually dilute less as your child grows. Take your toddler with you when you go for your dental check-ups, and he will get used to the sights and smells of a dental surgery before he ever has to sit in the chair and open his own mouth!

Remember, dental treatment on the NHS is free for children.