Brush Up on Healthy Teeth: Simple Steps for Kid's Smiles

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
• Description:
  1. Start cleaning teeth early. ; • As soon as the first tooth appears, begin cleaning by wiping with a clean, damp cloth every day. ; • When more teeth come in, switch to a small, soft toothbrush. ; • Begin using toothpaste with fluoride when your child is 2 years old. ; • Use toothpaste with fluoride before age 2 if your child's doctor or dentist recommends it. ; 2. Use the right amount of fluoride toothpaste. ; • Use only a small amount of toothpaste (about the size of a pea). Fluoride is important for fighting cavities. But if children younger than 6 years old swallow too much fluoride, their permanent teeth may have white spots. ; • Teach your child to spit out the toothpaste and to rinse well after brushing. ; 3. Supervise brushing. ; • Brush your child's teeth twice a day until your child has the skill to handle the toothbrush alone. ; • Continue to closely watch brushing to make sure the child is doing a good job and using only a small amount of toothpaste. ; 4. Talk to your child's doctor or dentist. ; • Ask the doctor or dentist about your child's specific fluoride needs. Children older than 6 months may need extra fluoride if the drinking water does not have enough. Children younger than 6 years old should not use a fluoride mouth rinse unless recommended by a doctor or dentist. ; • After age 2, most children get the right amount of fluoride to help prevent cavities if they drink water that contains fluoride and brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste twice a day. ; Early care for your children's teeth will protect their smile and their health.
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• Subjects:
  • Fluorides
  • Oral Hygiene
  • Toothbrushing
• Document Type:
  Still Image
• Genre:
  Poster ; Popular Works
• Pages in Document:
  1 poster
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/29565/cdc_29565_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 259.06 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:36e7e7b8e1ac8101a355400c47559e08b08b804c7eb0279c4947d8a39066016181fe3f7bdccf3d32e0e10ec66eb7f53bff9b11c331f2b30a43f9f59936703c8d