TIPS FOR PARENTS:

TIPS FOR PARENTS: 1. Try not to share saliva with the baby through common use of feeding spoons or licking pacifiers. 2. Avoid filling the bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks. 3. Infants should finish their bedtime and naptime bottles before going to bed. 4. If your child uses a pacifier, provide one that is clean—don’t dip it in sugar or honey. 5. Wipe the baby's gums with a clean gauze pad or washed cloth after each feeding. Clean and massage gums in areas without teeth. 6. Begin brushing your child's teeth without toothpaste, with a child-size soft-bristled toothbrush when his or her first teeth come in. 7. If you prefer toothpaste, do not use fluoride toothpaste until age 3. 8. After age 3, parents should supervise brushing. Teach your child to spit and not swallow toothpaste—usually not before he or she is 6 or 7.

After age 3, parents should supervise brushing 9. Brush the teeth with not more than a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste from the age of 3 to 6. 10. Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his/her first birthday. 11. Make sure your child is getting enough fluoride, which helps lessen cavities. If your local water supply does not contain fluoride, ask your dentist or doctor if you need to use a supplement. Schedule regular dental visits after your child's first birthday. Dentists also offer special sealant coatings, which can help prevent tooth decay in children. Let us all pledge today to give our child strong foundation.