Tips for Terrific Teeth

A Lesson for ParentsEducational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

Start Cleaning Early Start cleaning your baby’s gums at birth

with a soft infant toothbrush and water or with a clean, damp cloth

Start using toothpaste with fluoride when your child is 2 years old

Take your child to the dentist when the first tooth comes in, usually between 6 and 12 months of age

Use toothpaste with fluoride before the age of 2 if your child’s doctor or dentist recommends it.

Start Cleaning Teeth Early

Tooth Decay • It’s important to prevent tooth decay

because decay can cause your children a great deal of pain and ruin their teeth.

• The brown areas (in this picture) show decay caused by sugar and acid sitting on the teeth.

Decay fromSugar and Acid

Decay fromSugar and Acid

Tooth Decay

Sugar and Acid Come from candy and drinks Look for Citric Acid on food labels.

There are many products that have citric acid including sports drinks.

Hard candy can get into the grooves of back teeth and stay there letting the sugar and acid damage the hard surfaces of teeth.

Sugar and Acid…

Tooth Decay If the decay is not stopped, it can

cause teeth to rot off at the gums, as shown in the picture. The hole in the middle of the stumps is where the nerve used to be.

Each tooth is a separate entity and each tooth can have a toothache.

This child had multiple toothaches and abscesses. Toothaches are one of the biggest causes of absenteeism in the schools.

Tooth Decay

How can you prevent tooth decay? Encourage your child to drink from a

cup around his or her 1st birthday Children should not fall asleep with a

bottle. This traps sugar from the drink in the child’s mouth, causing tooth decay

Drinking juice from a bottle should be avoided-it should be in a cup or, better yet, give them water!

Prevent Tooth Decay

Use the right amount of fluoride toothpaste Use only a small amount of toothpaste

(about the size of a pea) Fluoride is important for fighting

cavities, but don’t allow your child to swallow the toothpaste. Too much fluoride may cause white spots on his or her teeth

Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and rinse well after brushing.

Use the Right Amount of Fluoride Toothpaste

Supervise Brushing Brush your child’s teeth twice a

day until the child can handle a toothbrush alone

Watch your child’s brushing to make sure the child is using only a small amount of toothpaste and covering all surfaces of the teeth with the toothbrush.

Supervise Brushing

Talk to your child’s doctor or dentist Ask the doctor or dentist about your child’s

specific fluoride needs. Children older than 6 months may need extra fluoride if your drinking water does not have enough

Children younger than 6 years old should not use a fluoride mouth rinse unless it is recommended by a doctor or dentist

After age 2, most children get the right amount of fluoride to help prevent cavities if they drink water that contains fluoride and brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste twice a day.

Talk to Your Child’s Doctor or Dentist