Back-to-school is the only time of year when the whole family resets its routines at once — and the back-to-school dental checklist is probably the most rewarding of them all. All the more so as one piece of news has slipped past a lot of parents: the M'T dents appointment, the French dental check-up covered in full by the state health insurance, has become yearly for every young person aged 3 to 24. Here's the complete list, from the appointment to book right now to the right fluoride levels for each age.
M'T dents: the free check-up is now yearly
Offered every three years for a long time, the M'T dents programme run by the Assurance Maladie — France's national health insurance — changed gear in 2025: one preventive appointment a year, from age 3 to 24, with nothing to pay up front. In practice:
- Who it's for: all children, teenagers and young adults aged 3 to 24.
- What it covers: a full examination (teeth, gums, personalised advice), and if treatment is needed straight afterwards, that is covered by the scheme too.
- How: book with the dentist of your choice, saying it's for "M'T dents", and bring an up-to-date carte Vitale, the French health insurance card. You no longer have to wait for an invitation letter to claim it.
- When: September is the ideal slot — the examination catches the cavities that took hold over the summer (ice creams, fizzy drinks, holiday routines) before they dig any deeper.
The back-to-school reflex: as you write the sports and music sessions into the family diary, add a "dentist — M'T dents" line for each child. A free annual check-up left unused is the only school supply you pay for by not buying it.
The right toothpaste for each age: the fluoride levels to know
It's the question parents ask most often at the pharmacy, and the answer comes down to two figures, those of the French recommendations issued by the UFSBD, the national union of oral-health professionals:
| Age | Fluoride level | Amount on the brush |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months to 6 years | 1,000 ppm | A grain of rice before age 3, a pea after that |
| From age 6 | 1,450 ppm | A pea-sized amount is plenty |
Two clarifications that head off the classic mistakes. First, the figure is printed on the tube, in the ingredient list or next to the "ppm" mention — if it isn't there, change product. Second, a strawberry-flavoured "children's" toothpaste dosed at 500 ppm under-protects a 7-year-old: from age 6, it's the adult level of 1,450 ppm that protects against cavities, whatever the flavour.
The 2×2 routine that survives the school year
Every back-to-school plan dies of the same thing: ambition. The dental routine that holds is minimal and non-negotiable:
- Two brushings a day, two minutes each — the evening one matters most, because that's the one protecting the teeth all night.
- An adult supervises until around age 8: before then, dexterity isn't enough for effective brushing, however willing the child.
- A timer or a two-minute song for younger children — or an electric toothbrush with a built-in timer for teenagers, which turns the obligation into a gadget.
- No heavy rinsing after brushing: spitting without rinsing lets the fluoride work for longer.
To rebuild the whole family's routine from scratch, our complete guide to the oral-care routine covers every step — and the reason behind every step, which helps win over the more sceptical members of the household.
The forgotten school supply: the toothbrush
We replace the schoolbag, the notebooks and the shoes, rarely the toothbrush. Yet it follows the very same calendar: a new brush every back-to-school, then roughly every three months (or as soon as the bristles splay). Soft bristles for everyone — hard bristles don't remove more plaque, they damage the gums. And if someone in the family brushes "hard", an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor corrects the movement better than any verbal reminder.
And the parents? September is your slot
The checklist applies to you too. September is the best window of the year for a back-to-school scale and polish: summer has left its pigments behind (iced coffees, rosé), dental practices still have room in their diaries, and you start again on a clean surface to maintain. And if a photo deadline is coming up — a September wedding, a team photo, a new job — our 4-week whiter-teeth plan (with its express 14-day version) falls right inside the window.
FAQ: your questions about back-to-school dental care
Is M'T dents really free?
Yes: the preventive examination is covered in full by the Assurance Maladie, with nothing to pay up front, for 3- to 24-year-olds. Any follow-up treatment carried out under the scheme is covered as well. The only practical conditions: an up-to-date carte Vitale and a dentist working under the standard public tariffs.
Do you have to wait for the letter from the Assurance Maladie?
No. Since the programme became yearly, the appointment is booked directly with the dentist by mentioning M'T dents — the invitation letter is no longer a prerequisite.
Which toothpaste for a 7-year-old?
A toothpaste with 1,450 ppm of fluoride, the same as for an adult — that's the French recommendation from age 6. Safety comes from the amount: a pea on the brush, and learning to spit without rinsing.
Can a child use a whitening toothpaste?
Not recommended: whitening formulas rely on more pronounced polishing, which is unnecessary on young teeth and potentially abrasive. The benchmark that separates products is the RDA value — our guide to toothpaste abrasiveness explains it in detail.
How old should a child be for a first dentist appointment?
The M'T dents programme starts at age 3, and that's a good marker: a first "discovery" visit with no treatment, which establishes the appointment as a normal event rather than a punishment.
The checklist in short
- ☐ M'T dents appointment booked for every 3- to 24-year-old (yearly, free);
- ☐ Tubes checked: 1,000 ppm before age 6, 1,450 ppm after;
- ☐ 2×2 routine restarted, supervision until age 8, no rinsing;
- ☐ New toothbrushes for the whole family;
- ☐ Back-to-school scale and polish booked for the adults.
Five boxes, an hour of logistics in total — and a whole school year that benefits from it. To equip the adult side of the house, our toothpaste quiz finds the right formula for each person in two minutes.