FOR MORE INFORMATION:
healthychildren.org: Brushing Up On Oral Health; Never Too Early To Start
aap.org: Fact Checked: Fluoride is a Powerful Tool for Preventing Tooth Decay
Dental Hygiene
Dental health is an important part of a child's overall well-being. Start from a young age to help establish good dental hygiene habits and visits to the dentist.
You can begin brushing your child's teeth with a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoride-containing toothpaste as soon as teeth appear in the mouth. You do not need to use "training toothpaste."
Use a smear (about the size of a grain of rice) of fluoride-containing toothpaste to brush teeth in the morning and before bed.
Once your child turns 3, you can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste containing fluoride to brush teeth in the morning and before bed.
Your child should visit the dentist no later than their first birthday, or within 6 months of their first tooth.
Most tap water contains fluoride. Drinking tap water helps strengthen tooth enamel and helps prevent tooth decay. Fluoride varnish can help prevent cavities.
Children should have fluoride applied every 6 months after their teeth erupt. Your pediatrician or dentist will do this to help prevent cavities.
More than half of children develop cavities in their baby teeth. Avoid drinking sugary drinks to help prevent cavities. Between meals, avoid sticky, sweet, or processed snacks. Choose vegetables, fruit, cheese, or yogurt instead. At bedtime, offer them water after their teeth have been brushed if a beverage is needed.
Talk to your pediatrician or dentist if your child has white, tan, brown, or black spots on their teeth.