Hints, Tips & Good Health For Kids!


Dr. Agard focusing on what matters the most!
To help develop good habits and prevent dental problems, a child should visit the dentist for the first time within six months of the eruption of the first tooth and no later that the first birthday.
Never allow a child to fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, fruit juice or sweetened liquids.  This can cause severe baby bottle tooth decay.
Children can expect to lose their first tooth around age six or seven, with the last baby tooth falling out by age 12.  Between the ages of six and eight, children are ready to received dental sealants - a thin, plastic film applied to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars (teeth directly in front of the molars) to prevent plaque from collecting in pits and fissures.
Begin teaching children the importance of flossing around 11 or 12 years of age.  A simple, helpful position is for the adult to sit on the sofa with the child resting his or her head in the adult's lap.
Minimize between meal snacks.  If served, have children brush their teeth or rinse their months with water after eating.
Children should wear properly fitted mouth guards when participating in sports (e.g., football, basketball, hockey, baseball, martial arts, in-line skating)
Parents or caregivers should begin "brushing" an infant's teeth with the emergence of the first tooth by wiping the teeth and gums with a dampened cloth or a wet infant toothbrush.  Children younger than three do not need to use toothpaste, as water is sufficient.
Usually by the age of three, children have manual dexterity to brush their own teeth.  An adult should brush the teeth after to get missed areas.
Thanks, in large part, to fluoride in public water systems, half of today's children aged 5-17 have never had a cavity in their permanent teeth.  This compares to 37 percent in 1980.  If you buy and drink bottled water, look for brands containing fluoride.
As children move into the teenage years, encourage and reinforce the daily routines of brushing and flossing to ensure a healthy mouth heading into adulthood.
Soft drinks, regular and diet, should only be served in moderation.  On going sipping prolongs sugar and acid attacks on teeth - "Sip All Day, Get Decay!"  After drinking pop, children should brush their teeth.  But, if this isn't possible, then they should drink a large glass of water to dilute sugar and acid left on the teeth.
Visit the public sections of the www.wda.org or www.ada.org for more information on baby bottle tooth decay, mouth guards, oral piercing, dental sealants, soft drink consumption and classroom activities, along with an "Ask the Dentist" section of children under the age of 16.

Toothpaste maker has tips for brushing

It's important to get kids to make brushing their teeth part of their regular routines, but it's just as important to get them to brush the right way.  As part of its healthy smiles campaign, Crest offers these technique tips for youngsters from toddlers to teen-ages:

  • To clean the outer and inner surfaces, place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle.
  • Start along the gum line and use short, gentle, tooth-wide strokes.
  • To clean chewing surfaces, hold the brush flat and move it back and forth.
  • For the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and use gentle up-and-down strokes with the toe of the brush.
  • Remember to brush the tongue.  Use a back-to-front sweeping method to remove food particles and freshen breath.