February is Children’s Dental Health Month, this is a time to learn about proper dental care and to promote a lifetime of good dental health for your child, reminds Wayne County Public Health. The teeth, bones and soft tissues of the mouth benefit from a well-balanced eating plan to help resist mouth infection and gum disease. To obtain important vitamins, especially calcium, children should eat a variety of foods from the five major food groups - - vegetables; fruits; breads, grains and cereals; dairy products; and meat. 

Avoid offering sugary foods that can stay on the teeth, forming plaque (a thin layer of bacteria), which attacks tooth enamel.  Offer such treats as fruits or low and fat-free milk or soy products.  If your children snack between meals, make sure they brush afterwards.

Babies who nurse continuously from the breast or from a bottle of milk, formula, or juice during naps or bedtime can develop “baby bottle tooth decay.”  This occurs when the sticky liquids rest on the gums and new teeth, causing decay.  If your baby sleeps with a bottle, be sure it contains only water.  

Proper dental health practices, such as drinking fluoridated water and brushing with fluoride, reduces the risk of tooth decay and can greatly improve overall oral health.  Take the following steps to keep your child’s teeth healthy:                           

• Start cleaning teeth early.  As the first tooth appears, begin cleaning by wiping with a clean damp cloth every day.  When more teeth come in switch to a small, soft toothbrush. 
• Parents of children over the age of six months should ask about the need for a fluoride supplement if drinking water does not have fluoride.  
• Begin brushing with fluoride toothpaste (a pea-sized amount) when your child is two years     old.
• Supervise brushing.  Brush your child’s teeth twice a day until your child has the skill to handle the toothbrush alone.  Then continue to closely watch brushing to make sure your child is doing a thorough job. Children should be able to brush unsupervised by the age of six or seven.
• Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and to rinse well after brushing.  Ingesting more than the recommended amount of fluoride for dental health can affect the enamel of permanent teeth still developing in the jaws.  

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that a dentist see a child as soon as his/her first tooth erupts, but at least no later than his/her first birthday.  A dental visit at an early age is a “well baby checkup” for the teeth.  Besides checking for tooth decay and other problems, the dentist can demonstrate how to clean the child’s teeth properly and how to evaluate any potentially adverse habits, such as thumb sucking.  

Children with healthy teeth find it easier to chew food properly, learn to speak clearly and smile with confidence.  Help your children maintain a lifelong healthy smile by providing them with well-balanced meals, limiting snacks, ensuring that they brush twice per day and floss once per day, and by scheduling regular dental checkups.  If parents set a good example by practicing proper dental hygiene, children will be more likely to do the same.  For more information on children’s dental health visit www.ada.org.  If you would like a dental health presentation or more information please email us at wcph@waynecountyny.gov