Child Dental Health

Summary

Healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall health. From the time your child is born, there are things you can do to promote healthy teeth and prevent cavities. For babies, you should clean teeth with a soft, clean cloth or baby’s toothbrush. Avoid putting the baby to bed with a bottle and check teeth regularly for spots or stains.

For all children, you should:

• Start using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when they are two years old. You might start sooner, if a dentist or doctor suggests it.
• Provide healthy foods and limit sweet snacks and drinks
• Schedule regular dental check-ups

Forming good habits at a young age can help your child have healthy teeth for life.

NIH: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Start Here

• About Kids’ Teeth Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives
• Children’s Oral Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dental Hygiene: How to Care for Your Baby’s Teeth American Academy of Family Physicians
• Healthy Mouth for Kids: Start Early to Protect Tooth Health National Institutes of Health
• Healthy Mouth for Your Baby National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy Nemours Foundation
• Take Care of Your Child’s Teeth Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Taking Care of Your Teeth Nemours Foundation

Patient Handouts

• Brushing Your Child’s Teeth Medical Encyclopedia
• Dental care – child Medical Encyclopedia
• Healthy Smile for Your Young Child: Tips to Keep Your Child Healthy National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
• Seal Out Tooth Decay National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Teething Medical Encyclopedia
• Tooth decay — early childhood Medical Encyclopedia

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Dental Health National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pit and Fissure Sealants National Institutes of Health

Diagnosis and Tests

• Dental Exam National Library of Medicine
• Panoramic Dental X-Ray Radiological Society of North America

Related Issues

• Dental Fluorosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Safely Soothing Teething Pain and Sensory Needs in Babies and Older Children Food and Drug Administration
• Teething & Dental Hygiene for Young Children American Academy of Pediatrics
• Teething Tots Nemours Foundation
• Toothache: First Aid Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Teenagers

• Dental Health and Orthodontic Problems American Academy of Pediatrics
• Taking Care of Your Teeth Nemours Foundation

Statistics and Research

• Dental Sealants Prevent Cavities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• FastStats: Oral and Dental Health National Center for Health Statistics
• Mouth Microbes: The Helpful and the Harmful National Institutes of Health

Find an Expert

• Find a Pediatric Dentist American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• Find an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Encyclopedia

• Fluoride in diet Medical Encyclopedia
• Natal teeth Medical Encyclopedia

Prevention and Risk Factors

• How to Prevent Tooth Decay in Your Baby American Academy of Pediatrics
• Let the Brushing Games Begin American Academy of Pediatrics
• Preventing Dental Caries in Children from Birth Through Age Five Years U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
• Tooth Decay National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Reference Desk

• Mouth and Teeth (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Child Dental Health

Children

• What’s Spit? Nemours Foundation
• Your Teeth Nemours Foundation

Specifics

• Your Child’s First Dental Visit Cleveland Clinic Foundation