Children and Dental Hygiene
Tooth Decay As you might guess, the number-one dental problem among preschoolers is tooth decay . One out of 10 two- year-olds already have one or more cavities By age three, 28% of children have one or more cavities By age five, nearly 50% of c hildren have one or more cavities Many parents assume that cavities in baby teeth don't matter, because they'll be lost anyway. But that's not true. Dental decay in baby teeth can negatively affect permanent teeth and lead to future dental problems. Teaching Good Dental Habits The best way to protect your child's teeth is to teach him good dental habits. With the proper coaching he'll quickly adopt good oral hygiene as a part of his daily routine . However, while he may be an enthusiastic participant, he won't yet have the control or concentration to brush his teeth all by himself. You'll need to supervise and help him so that the brush removes all the plaque—the soft, sticky, bacteria-