Tips for Tip-Top Teeth

To keep your child’s teeth strong and healthy for a lifetime, dental care should begin early. A daily care routine and a healthy diet, along with regular dental checkups, will help protect your child’s teeth and gums and prevent problems in the future.¹

Here are some suggestions for keeping your child’s smile bright: 

• Don’t let an infant fall asleep with a bottle of formula, milk, juice, or soda. Use only water for the bedtime bottle.¹ Prolonged or frequent daily exposure to sugary liquids—including formula—can lead to rapid tooth decay, especially of the front teeth. This is known as “baby bottle tooth decay.”^2,7

• Learn the correct way to clean your infant’s gums, using a gauze pad or an infant toothbrush and water.^2,7 After each feeding, wipe the baby’s gums. Begin brushing your baby’s teeth when the first tooth erupts and begin flossing when all the baby teeth have erupted, usually by age 2 or 2½.²

• Make sure your child brushes gently, at least twice a day, with a soft-bristled brush, with special attention to the gum line, and flosses every day. Your child’s toothbrush should be small enough to fit easily inside the mouth and to reach all areas.⁶ Make sure your child is old enough to have the dexterity to do a thorough job. Unless your pediatric dentist advises it, do not begin to use a fluoride toothpaste until ages 2 or 3.⁷

• Drink fluoridated water. If your family doesn’t have access to fluoridated water, ask your dentist or health care provider about other sources of fluoride.¹

• Feed your child a balanced diet that has all the nutrients he or she needs to grow and stay healthy. Make sure snacks are nutritious, too. Calcium-rich foods that help build strong teeth and gums include milk, yogurt, cheese, and enriched cereals and orange juice.^4,5 Vegetables and fruits are smart choices, too.⁶ Avoid sugary and starchy snack foods, especially sticky treats that cling to teeth, such as dried fruit and toffee.³

• Unless a problem is suspected, arrange regular pediatric dental checkups beginning shortly after your child’s first tooth appears—and no later than your child’s first birthday.¹

¹ “Pediatric Oral Health Information for Parents: Frequently Asked Questions.American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. www.aapd.org/pediatricinformation/faq.asp Accessed 2008.

² “Early Childhood Tooth Decay (Baby Bottle Tooth Decay): Frequently Asked Questions.” American Dental Association. http://ada.org/public/topics/decay_childhood_faq.asp Accessed 2008.

³ “Diet and Snacking.”American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/snacking.asp Accessed 2008.

⁴ “Tips and Resources: Vegetarian Diets.” U.S. Department of Agriculture. www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resources/vegetarian_diets_print.html Accessed 2008.

⁵ “Inside the Pyramid: Milk.” U.S. Department of Agriculture. www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/milk_why_print.html Accessed 2008.

⁶ “Cleaning Your Teeth and Gums (Oral Hygiene).” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/public/topics/cleaning_faq.asp Accessed 2008.

⁷ “Dental Care for Your Baby.”American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/babycare.asp Accessed 2008.