Lesson #9: The Truth Behind Caring for Your Child's Oral Health

Lesson # 9:  Oral Health Helps Overall Health 

Why is oral health so important for kids?  It’s worth reminding ourselves why there’s so much fuss about our teeth. Healthy teeth give our beautiful children gorgeous smiles.  Healthy teeth help them get nourished by thoroughly chewing their food. Healthy teeth do not cause pain. Imagine a child managing rotten teeth or a steady toothache!   Kids with a constant toothache cannot eat properly and have trouble paying attention. And yet, 1 in 10 disadvantaged children are in pain because of toothaches. Did you know the most common reason children miss going to school is tooth problems?! As I write kids are in a rare place, having school from home because of the Corona Virus Pandemic.

Singing about Brushing

Kids like to move, touch,follow-the Turtle Timer is tactile!

Taking Care of Teeth so Our Whole Community Will Smile

Cavities are completely preventable but they are still so common in America, not to mention the rest of the world: 

18% of American children ages 2-5 have them.  

45% of American kids ages 6-11 have cavities.    

25% of all American adults have tooth decay.

Healthy teeth even have an impact on our economic prospects.  Try to get a job without a good smile. I’ve heard that at least one restaurant forbids people missing their front teeth to work with the customers.     

Oral health is connected to overall health.  In early childhood, kids establish healthy habits they will have for the rest of their lives.  Teenagers benefit from well-ingrained habits since they tend to neglect their health, eat more junk food, and may be less open to advice (written by a mom of 2 teenagers). A well established routine at age 5 will keep on giving.  25% of people in the US walk around with untreated decay. Cavities, left untreated for too long, will get worse and then be more difficult to treat.  

Make brushing fun and establish a strong brushing habit. Here’s to staying healthy with continuing good dental hygiene!

Give Kids

healthy habits and smiles

Read more on the connection between Oral Health and Overall Health

The Truth Behind Our Kids' Oral Health

I had so many questions as a new mother—from how to keep my baby comfortable while feeding, to how to put her to sleep. Last on my mind was her oral health, since she didn’t have any teeth!

Then her first solid foods were vegetables and not sweets. We brought her to her first dentist appointment when she was four years old, but we may have waited too long. The dentist told us she had 7 cavities!

What did we miss with her oral health, already by the age of 4?

What are the most important things for early oral health?

I’ve since spent time with professionals in the oral care community. Here’s what matters most for kids:

1) Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste as soon as they are able to spit it out.

2) Get sealants. Maybe you already know about them. If so, good! Sealants are so effective at cavity prevention that most insurances cover them completely. 50% of kids get medical insurance from CHIP and medicare. But only 30% of of these kids who do go to the dentist get sealants. Why aren’t dentists automatically giving sealants when they are such a help preventing cavities? There is no downside to them.

3) If your child does not drink fluoridated water, then ask for a regular fluoride treatment at the dentist once a year.

Next, I’ll be publishing 10 lessons on Caring for Kids Oral Health so you can learn from our mistakes. Here’s to healthy teeth, beautiful smiles, and relieved parents!

Two Minutes To Make Your Day

Forming healthy habits is not easy but 2 minutes is-we can do anything for 2 minutes!   Use the Two Minute Turtle to take 2 minutes to start a new habit.  What new habit will you choose? Two minutes-you can do that!  Get your today. Choose the color, press the button, let the turtle guide you. Go slow, steady...win.