Prevent 1 in 4 elementary school

children have tooth decay. Talk to your

dentist about how you can help prevent

cavities. Tooth decay is the most

common and yet preventable disease

in children.

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

www.aapd.org

Fluids Parents - encourage your infant

drinks because these uids (even those

that don’t seem sweet) can cause

widespread and serious tooth decay.

Fluoride Infants older than six months

may need uoride supplements if their

drinking water does not contain enough

uoride. FACT: Fluoride supplementation

for infants has been shown to reduce

tooth decay by as much as 50%.

Even before baby teeth appear, infants need proper care and uoride supplements

Clean Parents - clean your infant’s

mouth and gums regularly with water

and a soft infant toothbrush or cloth.

Checkup Your infant’s rst dental

checkup should be before he or she

reaches one year old. This early dental

age one have 40% lower dental costs in

their rst ve years than children who do

not, due to the increased cost of dental

and medical procedures that may be

necessary as a result of early poor oral

health.

Brush Baby teeth should be brushed

at least two minutes/twice a day with

an age-appropriate sized toothbrush.

IMPORTANT: Use only a small amount of