February is Children’s Dental Health Month sponsored by the American Dental Association. This year’s campaign focuses on how fluoride in water prevents cavities! This is vital for your child’s developing smile as dental hygiene is one of the most essential things you can teach them. Good oral hygiene habits developed early on are the building blocks to establish a healthy foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles.
Community Water Fluoridation
Community water fluoridation is a safe way to help your child get fluoride protection against tooth decay. Fluoride helps rebuild and strengthen your child’s tooth enamel to keep cavities out. By making sure your child limits beverages that are high in sugar and drinks tap water fortified with fluoride, they can build strong teeth for a beautiful smile!
First Checkup
We recommend bringing your child to their first checkup after the first tooth erupts or by the time they reach their first birthday. This way your child can get comfortable visiting our dentist and we can detect and treat any problems with their growth and development when it is least invasive and least costly.
Daily Oral Hygiene
Clean your baby’s mouth with a soft washcloth or gauze to remove bacteria. When their teeth come in, you can use a baby toothbrush to brush gently. Once your child has two teeth touching, you’ll want to floss between them. Baby teeth need to be cared for as they are the placeholders for the adult teeth to come later. Their full set of baby teeth generally come in by the time they are three years old.
Teach By Example
You’ll need to brush their teeth twice a day with a children’s toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste until they are capable of doing this themselves, after which they should be supervised. Make sure they spit out the toothpaste instead of swallowing it. When teaching your child good oral habits, it’s fun to brush and floss together so they can watch and learn from you!
Sugarbug Dental & Orthodontics in Oxnard, California, is ready to help your child create a lifetime of healthy smile. Call today to schedule with one of our caring pediatric dentists!