National Children’s Dental Health Month – Tips From Our Child Care Team to You

Tips To Care For Your Children’s Teeth

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! Dental hygiene can be a highly underrated aspect of a child’s life. Focusing on great dental health habits and regular dentist visits are easy ways to prevent tooth decay and sickness that set your child up for a life of good dental hygiene. Children’s Campus of Greenville understands the importance of dental health in your child’s overall well-being. We have listed some of the most important facts regarding children’s dental health to help you “brush” up on your dental health knowledge.

Children’s Dental Facts:

Tooth decay is one of the most prevalent childhood conditions. It is twenty times more common than diabetes and five times more common than childhood asthma.
Sports can cause dental injuries, 10 to 39 percent of dental injuries in children are caused by sports. Make sure your little athlete has the right sports gear!
Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter! It is a naturally occurring mineral that helps prevent cavities by making the outer surface of your teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that cause tooth decay.
Thumb sucking can cause mouth problems. If it goes on before the first permanent tooth eruption, it can result in crooked teeth and affect the roof of the mouth and the development of the jaw.
It is estimated more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental-related conditions. So keep up with your child’s dentist visits twice a year!

Fun Tooth Facts to Share With Children:

Kids in prehistoric times did not suffer from a lot of tooth decay because sugar was not a part of their diet
Whales don’t have teeth but sharks have many sets, up to 30,000 teeth in a lifetime.
The enamel that covers the top part of the tooth is the hardest substance in the human body!
Turtles and tortoises are toothless!
Dogs have 42 teeth, cats have 30 teeth.

Tips For Good Oral Care During Childhood:

Brushing: Begin using toothpaste around the age of 2 to brush your child’s teeth. Since young children tend to swallow toothpaste rather than spitting it out, introduce fluoride toothpaste when your child is old enough not to swallow it. Brushing should occur twice a day.

Use a good technique: Aggressive brushing back and forth can damage the teeth and gums. Tilt the bristles a bit toward the gums and gently brush tiny circles, touching every surface of each tooth. It is recommended to brush for 2 minutes (30 seconds in each quadrant of the mouth).

Flossing: As soon as two teeth start touching each other, begin flossing between them once a day. Eventually,
flossing should gradually increase to twice a day.

Check your water: Determine if your water supply at home is fluoridated. If it is not, talk with your dentist about supplement options.

Avoid sugar: Don’t let your child go to bed with a pacifier or bottle filled with anything but water. If teeth are exposed to sugar-containing fluids for long periods the potential of decay increases. Cut back on sugary snacks. Snacks with sugar every hour mean your child’s mouth is always acid, which will also increase the chances of tooth decay.

Dental visits: Children should begin seeing a dentist by his or her first birthday or within 6 months of when the 1st tooth comes up. After the initial visit, your child should see his or her dentist ideally every 6 months.

Learn More About Our Greenville, NC 5-Star Daycare

Remember to start forming healthy dental habits as soon as possible. The foundation for healthy teeth and gums throughout a child’s life begins in the first two years of life. To learn more about developing healthy habits for your children or how dental hygiene can be taught to your child, contact us at Children’s Campus of Greenville. At Children’s Campus of Greenville, we understand the importance of providing children with the tools and guidance necessary to achieve maximum cognitive, social, emotional, and creative development. We are currently enrolling in the toddler program and look forward to hearing from you! Please call us with questions at (252) 756-8200 or contact us to schedule a tour.

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My husband and I signed our daughter up for daycare at Children's Campus in a desperate need. We had the opportunity to tour the center which we instantly fell in love with everything about it. Since our daughter has been attending Children's Campus she has done nothing but flourish in development. All of her teachers that she had been with since being here have been the sweetest and most caring, and that does not stop with the teachers as all of the staff at this center share constant love for the children. This is all evident by always being greeted with cheerful smiles, as well as witnessing everyone else being treated the same.

Laura L., Greenville

By spending time in my children's classrooms, I have witnessed the teachers' dedication and passion for working with children. Each day provides a stimulating experience in an atmosphere that fosters learning, as well as development of social, emotional, and gross and fine motor skills, all of which helps boost self-esteem. Each day when I drop them off I am confident Children's Campus provides a loving, nurturing , and attentive environment where my kids can play, learn, grow, and thrive!

Maria F., Mother of two, Greenville