2-6 years
“A key lesson for parents to understand is that a child’s healthy oral care pattern can easily be established if behaviors are taught in stages that parallel the child’s development. By following the guidelines outlined above, parents can help their child master healthy behaviors in the oral care routine.” –American Association of Pediatric Dentists
Instill good habits for a lifetime of healthy smiles.
FACT: A child needs assistance brushing and flossing their teeth until they are approximately 8 years old.
- At age 2, begin using smear-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice).
- Begin flossing in any areas where teeth are touching.
- Brush twice a day for 2 minutes. Dr. Adams and his staff will demonstrate proper brushing technique at each dental visit.
FACT: Maintaining a healthy diet is important to prevent dental cavities.
- Limit fruit juice and sweetened drinks to one time per day or less. Children who consume sweetened drinks frequently are at an increased risk of developing dental cavities.
- Fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese are the best choices for snacking. Avoid sticky snacks like gummies and fruit snacks.
- Limit snacks in between meals to less than three per day. Cavity causing bacteria use the sugars in the foods that we eat to make the acidic byproducts that cause cavities, the more often we eat the more often acidic byproducts are produce increasing the chance of cavity formation.
FACT: Preventing dental decay involves an important partnership between the parent, child and pediatric dentist.
- Dr. Adams and his staff place the highest level of importance on helping you and your child prevent dental cavities. We are just excited as you are when your child has an A+ check-up!
- Dr. Adams will recommend a schedule for professional visits and preventive treatments (cleaning, topical fluoride treatments, x-rays), based on your child’s individual risk for developing dental cavities. We recommend adhering to these recommendations to minimize dental problems.
Select the plan that is right for your child from the options below.