Babies are not born with the germs that cause cavities. These germs are passed to them from the people who take care of them. Germs can be passed through saliva when sharing a spoon with your baby or cleaning a pacifier with your mouth.

You can help reduce the chance of early cavities in your child’s teeth by:

• keeping your mouth healthy and free of cavities
• not sharing items between your mouth and your baby’s mouth
• taking your child for a dental visit by age one
• cleaning your child’s mouth twice a day

By the time your child is one year old, they should go to their first dental check-up. An oral health professional (e.g., dentist, dental therapist, dental assistant, dental aide, or hygienist) will count your child’s teeth and clean their teeth and mouth. This visit allows the oral health professional to find any early oral health problems and fix them before they get bigger.

An oral health professional will answer any questions you have about your child’s oral health. This visit lets you and your child develop a positive relationship with the oral health professional.

Your baby’s first teeth will likely begin to come in at around 6 months. They will have all of their baby teeth by the time they are around 3 years old. Your baby’s bottom front teeth will probably come in first. These will be followed by their top front teeth.

When each tooth comes in, it can be uncomfortable and painful. Your baby may get irritable and may not want to eat. Biting a teething ring or cold wet wash cloth can help. You can also try rubbing your baby’s gums with a clean finger or finger toothbrush.

Oral health care for your baby should begin before their first tooth appears. This is an important step towards having a healthy mouth for life.

Clean your baby’s mouth every day. Start soon after birth by wiping all around the inside of your baby’s mouth with a soft, moist, clean cloth at least once a day. This will reduce bacteria and help your child get used to regular cleaning.

Once your child’s first tooth appears, use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush and gently clean your baby’s teeth. It is important to get into the habit of doing this for your baby twice a day.

Keep cleaning your child’s teeth until they can do this properly themselves. Brushing teeth properly requires the child to move the brush at many angles. Help your child to brush their teeth until they are at least 8 years old.

Your child’s teeth can start to decay as soon as their first tooth starts to appear.

Fruit juice, sweetened tea, pop, cow’s milk, and formula all contain sugar. Going to bed with a bottle filled with these liquids can cause tooth decay.

Over time, sugar causes acid that eats away at the enamel of the teeth. Enamel is a protective coating on the teeth. When the enamel is eaten away, cavities occur.

Oral health means the health of your gums, teeth, mouth, and jaw.

By the time your child is three years old, they will have most or all of their baby teeth.

The Canadian Dental Association has lots of activities that you can do with your child to help them understand the importance of their oral health. Children are not born with the germs that cause cavities. These germs are passed to them from the people who take care of them, especially mothers.

Germs can be passed through saliva when sharing a spoon or cleaning a pacifier by mouth.

You can help reduce the chance of early cavities in your child’s teeth by:

• keeping your mouth healthy and free of cavities
• not sharing items between your mouth and your child’s mouth
• taking your child to regular dental visits
• brushing your child’s teeth twice a day and flossing once a day

Your child’s teeth can start to decay as soon as their first tooth starts to appear.

Fruit juice, sweetened tea, pop, cow’s milk, and formula all contain sugar. Going to bed with a bottle filled with these liquids can cause tooth decay.

Plaque causes tooth decay (cavities), gum disease, and bad breath. Plaque is a sticky, build-up of bacteria that forms on the teeth, gums, and tongue.

Tooth decay begins when plaque sticks to a tooth and is not cleaned by brushing. The plaque makes acid from the sugars and starches that are in your mouth from the food you eat and beverages you drink.

This acid causes a hole to form in the tooth’s enamel. Enamel is what covers and protects the tooth. The hole is called a cavity.

Gum disease in an infection of the gums and other areas that support the teeth. Gum disease happens when plaque is not removed every day by brushing and flossing. When the plaque builds up, the gums get red, swollen, and can bleed. If your child’s gums are bleeding, ask your oral health professional for some tips about flossing and brushing.

Continue to take your child to your oral health professional once a year or more often if requested. Visiting the dental clinic regularly can help treat problems early on.

Untreated dental problems can lead to health problems later in your child’s life. Preventing these problems is the best choice.

Brushing teeth removes plaque and food from the teeth and gums. Below is a list of things to remember.

• Use a child-sized toothbrush with soft bristles. Replace the brush every three months or after an illness. Never share toothbrushes.
• When your baby gets their first tooth, begin brushing twice a day. Use a “grain of rice size” amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
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• When your child turns 3 years of age, use a “pea size” amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Encourage your child to spit after brushing.
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• Gently move the toothbrush back and forth. Do 2-3 teeth at a time. Make sure you do all the teeth. Make sure you brush the front, back, and top of the teeth.
• Brush your child’s tongue.
  
• Rinsing is not recommended after brushing. Keep the fluoride on the teeth.
• Rinse the toothbrush well after brushing. Keep it in a clean, dry place. Don’t let the bristles touch the bristles of other toothbrushes.

Keep cleaning your child’s teeth until they can do this properly themselves. Brushing teeth properly requires the child to move the brush at many angles. An adult should help brush your child’s teeth until the child is at least 8 years old.

Flossing removes plaque and food from the places that your toothbrush cannot reach.

• Floss your child’s teeth once a day.
• Break off a piece of dental floss the length of your arm.
• Wrap most of the floss around a finger on one hand. Wrap the rest around a finger of the other hand.
• Hold the floss tightly between the fingers and work it slowly between the teeth and under the gum line, using a gentle back and forth motion. You can also use a floss pick.
• Floss every tooth.
• Children should not floss for themselves until age 9.
  

Fluoride is a mineral that helps the enamel on your teeth get stronger. This makes them less likely to decay.

Fluoride can be found in some communities’ water supplies. It is also found in toothpaste that is recommended by the Canadian Dental Association, and in some mouth rinses and fluoride varnishes.

Sealants prevent tooth decay. Sealants are painted on the chewing surfaces of the molars by an oral health professional.

Eat a variety of healthy foods each day.

The teeth and gums, like the rest of the body, need a well-balanced diet to stay healthy. Following Canada’s Food Guide is an easy way to make sure children aged two and older get the nutrition they need for good general and oral health.

Make water your drink of choice.

Encourage your child to drink water between meals to quench their thirst.

To decrease your child’s risk of cavities, all beverages other than water should be paired with a meal.

• Canadian Dental Association
• Pre-K Pages: Dental Health Preschool and Kindergarten Activities
• Sesame Street: Tooth Brush Activity Kit