HealthLinksSC.com | 69 appointments are to check for normal growth and development, identify if your child is at risk for tooth decay and to clean the teeth and show you how to properly clean your child’s teeth at home.” Dr. Eddie White, now in his 37th year of dental practice, added an extra word of caution – that dental care is as important at the baby-teeth age as it is at any other age. “As soon as the first tooth appears, start brushing twice a day,” he said. “Brush your children’s teeth until they have the skills to do it the right way on their own. And as soon as your child’s teeth start to touch, begin flossing.” This early approach to dental care is part of an overall and often united effort among U.S. dentists to permanently change dental habits in the next generation of American children. For example, when Lewis first visited the dentist in 1965, roughly 1 in 4 Americans were found by the National Center for Health Statistics to have substandard levels of oral cleanliness, ranging from barely adequate to injuriously poor. Yet keeping teeth healthy and lasting into advanced ages remains a consistent challenge. “For little cost and a few minutes a day, you can do a great deal to take care of your oral health between visits to the dentist,” said Dr. Jane Grover, director for the ADA’s Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations. “Home care is critically important – and diet and nutrition factors also play a role in oral health, particularly with young children.”
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