Dental Care and Hygiene

Although many parents don't think too much about their toddler's or preschooler's teeth, it is important to do so, because 20 percent of them develop cavities before they are 5 years old.

Need some good reasons to start taking care of your child's teeth as early as possible?

How about several hundred or thousand reasons?

• tooth filling - $98^*
• dental crown - $850
• root canal - $790

When you consider the high cost of poor dental hygiene, including cavities, fillings, or a root canal, it makes much more sense to follow basic dental care and hygiene tips and keep your kids teeth healthy. Also, baby teeth are important to maintain proper space between teeth and if they come out too soon, your child's permanent teeth might be crooked or crowded together. This will likely mean expensive orthodontic work to get them straight.

Having cavities can hurt too!

And preventative care, including basic brushing and flossing, sealants, and regular visits to the dentist every six months, is much less expensive than having to pay to fix these problems.

Habits for Healthy Teeth

Other ways to keep your children's teeth healthy include:

• cleaning your baby's gums and then teeth twice a day as soon as they come in
  
  
• asking your pediatrician to check your child's teeth at each well child visit
  
  
• avoiding letting your younger child drink more than 4-6 ounces of 100% fruit juice each day and avoid juice at all before they are 6 months old
  
  
• asking about fluoride supplements if your kids don't drink fluoridated water once they are 6 months old
  
  
• not letting your older infants and toddlers go to bed or have a bottle/sippy cup of milk or juice in the middle of the night
  
  
• encouraging your kids to eat a healthy diet and avoid sugary snacks
  
  
• flossing between your child's teeth as soon as they start to make contact with one another
  
  
• using a smear of fluoridated toothpaste once your baby gets his first teeth
  
  
• starting to use a small pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste once your child is 2 years old
  
  
• seeing a pediatric dentist for a checkup once your child gets his first tooth or by the time he is 12 months old
  
  
• definitely seeing a pediatric dentist by the time your child is 3 years old or sooner if he is at high risk for cavities or if you or your pediatrician notice any problems
  
  
• asking your dentist about sealants for your child's 6 and 12 year molars
  
  

Remember that by 3rd grade, about 50 to 70 percent of children have at least one cavity.

^*based on the American Dental Association (ADA) 2003 Regional Survey of Dental Fees