Dental Tips for Children

Parents should wipe their newborn’s gums with a clean, damp cloth after each feeding to control the accumulation of plaque and to establish this ritual as part of the daily routine.

• Parents should begin brushing their child’s teeth as soon as they come in, with only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Ideally, flossing should begin when two adjacent teeth touch.

• Parents should take their young child with them to their next routine dentist appointment to reduce some of the child’s potential anxiety in the dental chair. The child will have a chance to get used to the sounds, smells and staff in the dental office, prior to his/her own dental visit.

• Children should visit the dentist no later than six months after the first tooth erupts, or before the child’s first birthday.

• Parents should not give an unattended or sleeping child a bottle with milk or juice. Instead, children should drink water to prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

• It is important for children aged 6 months to 16 years to drink water that is optimally fluoridated drinking water (well water and bottled or spring water do not have any fluoride). Most communities have fluoridated tap water, but if it is not available the dentist can recommend a dietary fluoride supplement dosage.

• Dental sealants are an excellent way to prevent tooth decay in children. The dental sealant procedure takes only minutes, is painless, is less than half the cost of a filling and is virtually 100 percent effective at stopping decay.

• Children involved in sports need proper mouth protection to prevent mouth injuries, knocked-out teeth and possible concussions. Ask your dentist about customized mouth guards.

• If a child or an adult has a permanent tooth knocked out of his/her mouth, follow these procedures: gently rinse (not scrub) the tooth off and place it in a cup of warm milk (salt water is the second best choice; plain water, the third best), call the dentist and bring the child and the soaking tooth in immediately for re-implantation and stabilization.