• Establish healthy eating habits for your child . Offer a variety of foods from the five major food groups : fruits , vegetables , dairy , grains and meat / poultry / fish . A balanced diet helps keep your children ’ s teeth and gums healthy . A diet high in natural or added sugars may place your child at extra risk for tooth decay .
• Visit the dentist every six months for a checkup and professional cleaning . Seeing a dentist regularly is important for good oral health . Dentists can detect small problems before they become bigger , more painful problems . Your child could have oral health problems you don ’ t know about like cavities or gum disease .
• If your child is involved in any contact sport or recreational activity , they should always wear a mouthguard . Examples of contact sports include football , field hockey , ice hockey , baseball , basketball , softball , wrestling , soccer , lacrosse , rugby , in-line skating and martial arts .
• Find out if your water supply contains fluoride . According to the American Dental Association ( ADA ), 75 years of our best scientific evidence indicates that community water fluoridation is safe and effective . Drinking water with fluoride ( also known as “ nature ’ s cavity fighter ”) has been shown to reduce cavities by 25 %.
Learning about oral health can be informative and fun at the same time for kids of all ages . Visit PDA ’ s online Kids ’ Corner at www . padental . org / kidscorner for interactive games and activities , information on brushing and flossing , answers to frequently asked questions , nutritional information and more .
For more information on NCDHM , visit www . padental . org / ncdhm . Like us on Facebook at www . facebook . com / padentalassn and follow us on Twitter at www . twitter . com / padentalassn and Instagram at www . instagram . com / padentalassn .
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