Here’s some easy ways to help promote your child’s oral health:
- It is time to visit the dentist for the first time
- Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle. Frequent and prolonged exposure of baby’s teeth to drinks that contain sugar can cause tooth decay.
- Do not pick a pacifier from the floor and put into your mouth to clean it and then give to your baby! The bacteria that causes cavities can be passed through saliva.
- Do not share utensils with your baby, because you will share your germs too.
- Talk to your dentist or doctor about putting fluoride varnish on your child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears. According to the Centers for Disease Control and ADA’s Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry, sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80% in molars.
- Brush your child’s teeth twice a day, the best in the morning after breakfast, and in the evening right before a bedtime
- Allow your child to drink water that contains fluoride. Bottled water and well water do not have fluoride in them. Let your dentist know if your child doesn’t have access to water with fluoride on a regular basis.
The following shots are recommended for children from 1 year to 2 years:
At 2 years:
- Annual Flu Vaccine
- This vaccine is recommended from September to April each year once your child is at least 6 months of age
- Their first time being vaccinated with the flu vaccine, they will get 2 flu vaccines that season—1 initially and then another 1 month later
- This vaccine will help protect your child from getting the flu which can cause them to get a fever, feel achy, lose their appetite, and have nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
- It takes at least 2 weeks for protection from the flu virus to kick in after being vaccinated
