Dental hygiene for teenagers

Your teenager is likely starting to have developed most of their adult teeth by 12 years of age. 

Children will get their second molars around 13 years of age. The last teeth to come in are their ‘wisdom teeth’, which are known as third molars. The wisdom teeth don’t come in until the late teens, around 18 to 25.

  • From 13 to 18 years, children may start to have more independence in their choice of food and drink or even start to have pocket money to purchase their own food and drinks.
  • It is important to encourage a healthy diet and talk to your child about the risks of tooth decay from sweetened food and drinks.

Looking after your teenager's teeth

Your teenager is likely to have developed most of the teeth that they will have for the rest of their life.  

It is important to help your child look after their teeth with the following advice:

  • book regular dental check-ups every 6-12 months
  • brush twice a day with a small toothbrush that has soft bristles – morning and night can help set a good routine
  • use a small, pea-sized amount of regular adult toothpaste
  • teach your child to spit out toothpaste instead of swallowing
  • don’t rinse with water after brushing as the fluoride from the toothpaste is working to protect your child’s teeth.
  • remind your child to brush their tongue
  • encourage your child to floss daily
  • teach your child to lift their lip once a month to check for signs of tooth decay
  • offer your child healthy snacks such as fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and plain yoghurt
  • don’t share cutlery, straws utensils – this can pass bacteria and germs to your child’s mouth that can cause tooth decay.

Sport and teeth

Sport is a great way to get your child active. It is also important to take precautions to protect your child’s teeth during certain forms of sport or exercise.

Sport and tooth protection

Children are often at risk of chipping, breaking, or knocking out their teeth from things such as contact sports, rough play, falls or accidents. Losing a baby tooth early from an accident is not usually a cause for concern, and treatment will focus on managing pain or infection to the tooth or gum. However, tooth injuries to adult teeth must be treated as soon as possible to avoid further injury, infection, and permanent loss. 

See the Tooth injuries in older children factsheet for more information, including treatment and management.

A quarter of all 15-year-olds have had some type of injury to their front teeth.

Sports drinks:

Where possible, sports drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages should be limited or avoided to prevent tooth decay. Regular sports drinks contain sugar, which interacts with bacteria in the mouth creating acid that can decay teeth. If your child does have a sweet drink or food, ensure they drink water and/or brush their teeth afterwards to reduce the risk of tooth decay. When playing sport, water is the best choice to rehydrate your child. 

If you would like further information about fluids, sports drinks or electrolytes for your child's specific sport, book in to see an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) or a Sports Dietitian.