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Healthy Teeth for Your Child

Protect your child's teeth with fluoride.

  • Ask your dentist if your water has fluoride in it. If not, talk to your dentist or doctor about fluoride drops.

Check and clean your child's teeth.

  • If you see spots or stains on your child's teeth, see the dentist. Clean your child's teeth with a clean soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush. Clean them once a day. At age 2, you can start brushing with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

    Feed your child healthy food.

  • Choose foods with a low amount of sugar. Follow the food guide pyramid. Choose fruits and vegetables over sweets.

    Prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

  • Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle. Sucking on a bottle filled with sweet liquids can cause tooth decay. Tooth decay can be painful and cost a lot to fix. Do not dip a pacifier in honey or sugar. By 1 year of age, have your child drink from a cup rather than a bottle.

    Take your child to the dentist.

  • Ask your dentist when to bring your child in for the first visit. This is usually between 1-2 years of age.

Adapted from "A Healthy Mouth for Your Baby," NIH Publication No. 95-2884, July 1995, National Institute of Dental Research