A Healthy Smile Lasts a Lifetime

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and this year's theme is "A Healthy Smile Lasts a Lifetime." Good oral hygiene covers 4 basic areas:

• Flossing
• Brushing
• Having a healthy diet
• Having regular checkups

Children are never too young (or too old!) to develop good dental care habits, and you can help!

Flossing 1x2 (1 minutes, twice a day)

Many dentists consider flossing the single most important part of good oral hygiene because it removes the food particles, plaque, and bacteria between the teeth and gums in areas where a toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing helps to keep gums healthy and breath fresher. It also helps to prevent your teeth from decaying as quickly.

There are many types of floss (flavored, plain, waxed, thick, thin) and flossing aids to choose. Encourage your children to try different flavors until they find one that they like, and help them with flossing until they can do it on their own, around age 7 or 8. We will be happy to teach them proper flossing methods.

Brushing 2x2 (2 minutes, twice a day)

Encourage your children to establish a regular routine of brushing their teeth at least twice a day. Make sure they use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

You can start teaching toddlers to brush their teeth when they are around 2 or 3 years old. While brushing for at least 2 minutes, make sure children brush all the surfaces of their teeth, and use a toothbrush with soft bristles.

Be sure to check the condition of their toothbrush. Toothbrushes should be replaced:

• Every 3 or 4 months
• Whenever the bristles are worn or frayed
• After an illness

Children's toothbrushes tend to wear out more quickly than adults', so you may need to replace theirs more often.

To encourage your children to use their toothbrushes regularly, you may want them to pick out a favorite color or character. You may need to help them with brushing their teeth until you are sure they can do it properly on their own (around age 7 or 8).

Healthy meals 3x5 (3 meals with 5 fruit and vegetable servings a day)

Overall health, including good oral health, is affected by what your children eat and how often they eat. Encourage your children to eat healthy meals with a variety of food choices. Also encourage them to drink water and milk instead of soft drinks.

Limit their snacks between meals, especially sugary soft drinks, sweets, or snacks that are high in salt or fat. The National 5-to-9 a Day Program recommends that children between the ages of 2 and 6 should eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and older children should eat at least 7.

According to the American Academy of Pedatric Dentistry, the number of cavities in children between the ages of 2 and 6 has risen by more than 15 percent in recent years. A healthy diet, limits on sugary snacks, flossing and brushing immediately after eating or drinking will help alleviate this problem.

Dental checkups 4x2 ("4" everyone, twice a year)

Dental checkups twice a year is the fourth component of a healthy smile. This is a good guideline for everyone, not just children. We will check the current condition of your family's teeth and gums, help reinforce good habits for oral hygiene, and make recommendations for further treatment and maintenance.

Your children's first dental appointments should be made when they are about 1 year old. By starting checkups at a young age, we can help reinforce that visits to the dentist's office are a good experience and a good habit to keep throughout their lives.

As October moves toward the end of the year, there will be more and more events with lots of sweets, such as school activities and seasonal parties. Now is an excellent time to focus on your children's dental hygiene. If you have not made an appointment with us recently, please give us a call. We want to help your children's healthy smiles last a lifetime!

For more information

If you would like some tips and techniques about dental hygiene for your children or for yourself, please contact our office. Also, you may find the following Web sites useful:

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry at http://www.aapd.org/pediatricinformation/faq.asp
• American Dental Association at http://www.ada.org/public/topics/cleaning.asp
• American Dental Hygienists' Association at http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/children.htm and http://www.adha.org/kidstuff/games.htm
• Canadian Dental Association at http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/cfyt/dental_care_children/index.asp