Dental Care For Children in Connecticut Parents/caregivers should begin a routine of daily oral hygiene care for children at an early age.Fermentable carbohydrates (mainly sugars and starches) and plaque (aninvisible, sticky layer of harmful bacteria) constantly form on the teeth and arebroken down by bacteria to produce acid and new plaque. Poor oral hygienecare also makes infants and toddlers susceptible to early childhood caries. Earlychildhood caries can start very soon after teeth erupt and progress quickly. Inorder to intercept any potential problems, the American Academy of Pediatricsrecommends a child’s first visit to the dentist be no later than 12 months of age or6 months after the first tooth erupts.HOW TO CHECK BABY TEETH. Ask your dentist or hygienist to show you how to “liftthe lip” of a child and look inside. Once a month, look for “white spots” on achild’s teeth-it takes less than one minute to do! Doing this on a regular basisallows the child to become accustomed to your hands and instruments and willmake it easier for you to clean their teeth.TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN’S TEETH. Cleaning a child’s teeth and gums after eatingreduces the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth and also offers you anopportunity to become familiar with the normal appearance of their teeth andgums so that you can identify problems, should they occur. Parents/caregiversshould clean children’s teeth daily with a small toothbrush and a pea-sizedamount of fluoridated toothpaste. Children probably will not be able to brushtheir own teeth thoroughly until they are about seven or eight years old.Developing a regular time for tooth cleaning is a good habit to form. Childrenlearn by example. Set a good example by letting them watch you brush and flossyour teeth. BABY TEETH ARE IMPORTANT. Parents of newborns may not realize that as soonas a baby’s teeth erupt, they are susceptible to decay. Early treatment –beginning at age 2 or younger – can save most children form the physical andpsychological consequences of dental neglect.Baby teeth play a significantrole in a child’s overall health. Without the front baby teeth, it’s hard to bite into foods like carrots and apples. Teeth help a child to chew and strengthen facialand jaw muscles. Baby teeth hold the place for permanent teeth that are stillforming in the gums so it is important not to lose baby teeth prematurely. Selfesteem and comfort of the child is also an important consideration.AVOID HABITS HARMFUL TO BABY TEETH. Avoid developing a habit that will harm ababy’s teeth such as putting the baby to bed with a bottle, propping it in thebaby’s mouth, or allowing the baby to feed “at will”. If you are having troubleweaning the child from the bottle, here are some things you can do: offer asecurity blanket or teddy bear, use music to soothe the child, hold or rock thechild before laying them down, rub the child’s head and back, use an infant swingor musical mobile or read or tell a story to the child. If you must put the child tobed with a bottle, fill it only with water.Decay is not caused by the amount of sugar consumed but thefrequency with which the child eats it. Therefore, try to limit sugarysnacks to mealtimes and brush the child’s teeth soon after theyconsume them. Children need to be trained to make good decisionsabout food. It is important to offer them lots of healthy food choices.Food should not be offered as a reward for good behavior. WHAT ABOUT FLUORIDE? Fluoride is very important. It helps re-mineralize thehard, white enamel on teeth. It can also slow or stop the harmful effects of theacid produced by bacteria in the mouth. Parents/caregivers should inquire aboutpossible fluoride supplementation for the child.KEEP SMILING! Childhood is a unique and lively stage of development. The bestor worst impressions and habits can be formed during this time. It is challengingfor parents/caregivers to teach children about many different aspects of a healthyand well-balanced life. Proper oral hygiene and habits are learned throughrepetition and reinforcement. Children live a large part of their world throughtheir mouth…chewing, tasting, talking, sucking and smiling. Taking care of theirmouths is your responsibility and will help keep children SMILING.