February is “National Children’s Dental Health Month”.
This observation calls attention to the importance of children learning good dental habits at an early age. Children’s first dental visit should happen by age 1. Scheduling regular dental visits helps children to get a good start on a life time of healthy teeth and gums.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease in children. Some tips to help prevent teeth decay are:
- Do not put a baby to bed with a bottle. If you do give your baby a bottle at bedtime, be sure you only fill it with water.
- Check and clean baby’s teeth twice a day
- Older children should brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes.
- Children should eat a healthy diet that limits the amount of sugar.
- Be careful of dried fruit, sticky candies, and vitamins. They can stick to teeth.
For more information, visit nidcr.nih.gov (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/National Institute of Health). Continue to follow NEW Health for more information and tips on health and wellness.
