Oral Health for Infants & Toddlers
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019), cavities (also known as tooth decay) is the most common childhood disease in the United States. It is important to take care of your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears, after all, tooth decay is preventable.
Did you know that as a parent or caregiver you can pass cavities to children? For example, you can pass cavities to your child by sharing forks and spoons.
- First Tooth, First BirthdayFirst Tooth, First Birthday
- Sugary DrinksSugary Drinks
- Bottle Rot Tooth DecayBottle Rot Tooth Decay
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends your child first visit the dentist by age 1. This will help your child get used to visiting the dentist while allowing the dentist to check your child’s teeth to spot signs of early problems.
Another way to prevent your child from getting cavities is limiting sugary drinks, like fruit juice or soda. It is okay to have a soda every once in a while, but we want to limit them as much as possible. Cavities will form if your child drinks too many sugary drinks. Also, if you put your child to sleep with a bottle that contains fruit juice, cavities will form.
Try to put your child to sleep without a bottle. It may be difficult at first, but we believe you and your child can do it. By not putting your child to sleep with a bottle filled with a sugary drink, as a parent or caregiver, you are preventing cavities from forming in your child’s teeth. If you are having any concerns about your child’s teeth, remember to ask your dentist any questions you might have.
Are you a parent or caregiver?
As a parent or caregiver, do you know how can you protect your child’s teeth from cavities? If your child does not have teeth yet, wipe their gums with a soft, clean cloth after they eat in the morning and at night. After teeth start coming in, use a soft-bristle toothbrush and a smear-size amount of toothpaste.
One of the easiest ways to protect your child’s teeth from cavities is through the use of fluoride varnish (Marinho et al., 2013). Ask your dentist or primary care provider about fluoride varnish. Fluoride varnish is completely safe for infants and toddlers and can be done by your doctor in a primary care setting (Clark & Slayton, 2014).
Are you a pediatric provider?
Are you interested in incorporating oral health into your practice? Brush, Book, Bed is a campaign created by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The campaign is meant to link the three important nighttime routines in one health message. If you are interested in learning more, please visit AAP.org.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019) Children’s Oral Health. https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/basics/childrens-oral-health/index.html
Clark, M. B., & Slayton, R. L. (2014) Fluoride use in cares prevention in the primary care setting. Pediatrics, 134(3), 626-633. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-1699
Marinho, V. C., Worthington, H. V., Walsh, T., Clarkson, J. E. (2013). Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews, 11(7). doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD002279.pub2
Brush, Book, Bed

Interested in incorporating oral health into your medical practice? Brush, Book, Bed is a great campaign to increase awareness about the importance of oral health at a young age.
Do you know what baby bottle tooth decay is?
Putting your baby to bed with a bottle might be doing more harm than you think. Watch the video above to learn more.