How long should kids brush their teeth?
Two minutes, twice a day. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and its MouthHealthy guidance for children ages 3 to 6 says at least two minutes each time. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests the best times are right after breakfast and before bedtime.
Two minutes feels long to a five-year-old. That's why this timer splits it into four 30-second zones, so your child brushes each part of the mouth, not just the front teeth.
How to use the timer
- Pick who's brushing. Add your child once with Add a child; after that, one tap. Just practicing runs the timer without saving.
- Check morning or evening. The timer guesses from the clock (before 2 pm counts as morning), and you can switch it.
- Press Start. Molly the Molar points to the first zone. Every 30 seconds the glow moves on: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left. That path keeps the brush moving around the mouth without jumping.
- Finish the two minutes. The brush is saved, the streak grows and new stickers unlock.
Turn on Sound for a beep at each change and a little fanfare at the end. Vibrate works on phones whose browser supports it. While the timer runs, the screen stays awake on browsers that support it.
How to brush a child's teeth, by age
| Age | Who brushes | Toothpaste |
|---|---|---|
| First tooth to age 3 | You brush, twice a day, with a small soft-bristled brush | A smear the size of a grain of rice |
| 3 to 6 years | Your child starts learning; you supervise so every tooth gets reached | A pea-size amount; spit, don't rinse |
| 6 to about 10 years | Your child brushes, with you helping or checking | A pea-size amount |
The ADA says to brush a baby's teeth for them at first and help them learn as they grow. It advises helping or supervising until a child can spit out the extra toothpaste. The AAP goes further: help or supervise until your child has mastered brushing, which it says is usually at around 10 years of age. The CDC says to watch children under 6 brush and help until they have good brushing skills.
A few technique basics from the ADA that work for kids too:
- Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
- Move it gently back and forth in short, tooth-wide strokes.
- Use a soft-bristled brush, and replace it every three to four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed.
For the right amount of toothpaste at your child's age, shown at true size, see the Kids Fluoride Calculator. The AAPD adds that rinsing after brushing should be kept to a minimum, so the fluoride stays on the teeth.
Making brushing fun
A few ideas that make the two minutes easier:
- Give it a shape. Four zones with a glow to chase is easier than "brush until I say stop."
- Let them choose. A brush color, the sticker they're working toward, or who goes first.
- Brush together. Kids copy. Brush your own teeth at the same time with the timer.
- Celebrate streaks, not perfection. A missed night happens. Use the week view to fix a missed log, and keep going.
- Make the chart physical. Print the monthly sticker chart and let your child add a real sticker after each brush.
- Hand over gradually. Let your child brush first, then take a turn yourself to finish the spots they missed.
Stickers and streaks
The twice-a-day streak counts the days in a row when both the morning and evening brush were done. If today isn't finished yet, the streak counts up to yesterday, so a morning brush never "breaks" it.
| Sticker | How to unlock |
|---|---|
| Shiny Star | 1 brush |
| Morning Sun | 4 brushes |
| Sleepy Moon | 1 full day (morning and night) |
| Happy Heart | 10 brushes |
| Rainbow | 3 full days in a row |
| Rocket | 20 brushes |
| Tooth Crown | 7 full days in a row |
| Golden Trophy | 40 brushes |
Stickers stay unlocked once earned. The goals are ours, set to come quickly at first and then stretch over a few weeks.
How this tool works
- The timer runs for 120 seconds, split into four zones of 30 seconds each. It counts real elapsed time, so it stays accurate even if the phone is slow or the tab is in the background.
- When the full two minutes are done, it saves one entry for the chosen child, like "2026-10-26-am", in this browser's My Smile storage. Brushing twice in the same morning counts once.
- Streaks, the week view, stickers and the printable chart are all worked out from those saved entries.
- Sounds are made in the browser (Web Audio), so nothing is downloaded. Nothing you do here is sent anywhere.
Works offline: after the page has loaded once, the timer keeps working without internet. If your browser offers to install the site as an app, that makes it even quicker to open at bedtime.
Want a plain timer for grown-ups? Try the Two-Minute Brushing Timer.
Frequently asked questions
How long should kids brush their teeth?
When can my child brush without help?
When is the best time to brush?
Does the timer work offline?
Where are the streaks saved?
Sources
- American Dental Association. Toothbrushes (Oral Health Topics). updated August 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Baby Teeth. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Brushing Your Teeth. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). Good Oral Health Starts Early: AAP Policy Explained. updated April 17, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health Tips for Children. May 15, 2024. Accessed October 26, 2026.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Fluoride Therapy (Best Practices, Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry). latest revision 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.