Facts Related to Holistic Dentistry

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month!

National Children’s Dental Health Month is here already! This is brought to us by the ADA, American Dental Association, to bring about parental and child awareness of the benefits of good oral health. This months campaign is, “Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile.”

A few helpful tips for Parents to keep up on children's oral health:

• recommended children brush for at least two minutes twice a day to reduce the bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
• Parents can begin brushing their child’s teeth as soon as they are visible in the mouth
• An adult should always assist children under the age of eight years of age with tooth brushing.
• Brush the toothpaste on all surfaces of the teeth, then rinse the brush off and lightly brush the tongue and roof of the mouth.

Two of the most important actions parents can take for their children's oral health is to clean their children's mouths twice a day, and avoid sugar. Repeated exposure to sugar, or most starches in foods and drinks, will feed the bacteria in the mouth that cause tooth decay or cavities. Eating or drinking meals, snacks or sugary beverages such as juice more than a few times a day significantly increases a child’s risk for cavities. Consuming snacks or drinks right before bedtime is the most dangerous, because our saliva flow slows down when we sleep, so the acids produced by bacteria aren’t washed away or neutralized.

Flossing for Children

You don’t need to floss a child’s teeth unless they are touching each other. Most children have baby teeth with spaces in between them until about 3-4 years old, so brushing performed correctly by an adult is enough to remove food debris and plaque. Once a child's teeth start to touch together tightly, an adult will need to help them floss. Flossing is the best way to clean away bacteria and food debris between teeth that touch.

There will be valuable information given this February to help children with their oral health. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others. If you would like more information about how to better your oral health, please visit us at. www.cypressdental.com