Additional Information
Jump to:
- Healthy Nutrition
- Healthy Snacks
- Oral Habits
- Other problems: Tooth Sensitivity, Bad Breath, Canker Sores, and More
- Teaching Kids Healthy Smiles
Healthy Nutrition
- Make sure that your child eats a variety of healthy foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid giving your child sugary drinks.
- Instead, make sure that your child drinks water and milk most often.
- Avoid sugary foods, esp. as a snack between meals.
- Make sure that your child’s teeth are brushed after breakfast and before bedtime.
- Make sure your child is physically active every day.
- Poster: My Pyramid for Kids—Eat Right. Exercise. Have Fun.—Tips for Families
- Your Food Pyramid
- Poster: What’s in Foods?
- Health Eating, Part II – What foods do children need? What foods should be avoided?
Also type ‘teeth’ into the search box for information on 30+ items related to teeth.
- Poster: Give Your Child “Teeth Healthy” Drinks.
and In Spanish: Déle A Su Hijo Bebidas Para “Dientes Sanos”
- Are You Feeding Your Kids Tooth-Friendly Foods?
Healthy Snacks
- Candy—Why the Bad Rap?
- Snack Facts
- Diet and Snacking, from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD)
Oral Habits: Pacifiers, Gum, Tooth Grinding, and Thumb Sucking
- Using a pacifier for babies and young children is a very common habit and can give the infant a sense of security. But: Make sure you use an orthodontic pacifier.
- Discourage the use of a pacifier by 18 months, and permit it only at nap or bed time.
- Discontinue the use of a pacifier at the latest when the front permanent teeth are coming in.
- Your child’s dentist can recommend an appliance that will help your child quit.
- Tooth grinding is very common in young children. However, when your child gets older, talk with your dentist about it. Grinding teeth can wear down teeth and damage the joint on the side of the face.
- Discourage thumb sucking by age four, if your child has not stopped on his/her own. Thumb sucking can push the upper teeth forward and damage your child’s bite.
- If your child chews gum, be aware that it is a sugary snack and using it often should be avoided.
- Consider sugarless gum that contains Xylitol as an artificial sweetener
Pacifiers
- Pacifiers—The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
- Pacifiers
- Thumbsucking, Finger Sucking and Pacifier Use—from the American Dental Association (ADA)
- Pacifiers and Thumbsucking: What You Should Know
Chewing Gum
Teeth Grinding
- Bruxism (Teeth Grinding or Clenching)
- Bruxism/Teeth Grinding
Thumb Sucking
- Thumbsucking, Finger Sucking and Pacifier Use—from the American Dental Association (ADA)
- Pacifiers and Thumbsucking: What You Should Know
- Thumbsucking
Other problems: Tooth Sensitivity, Bad Breath, Canker Sores, and Other Dental Health Information
Tooth Sensitivity
- Tooth Sensitivity—general information, not child specific
- Sensitive Teeth: Causes and Treatments—general information, not child specific
Bad Breath
- If you notice that your child has bad breath, make sure that your child’s teeth and tongue are brushed twice a day and the teeth are flossed daily to remove food and plaque.
- If your child still has bad breath after brushing and flossing, he/she may have sinus drainage or gum disease. Discuss this possibility with a doctor or dentist.
- What Causes Bad Breath?
- Bad Breath—general information, not child specific
- Bad Breath (halitosis) —general information, not child specific, from the ADA
- Bad Breath, an overview—general information, not child specific
- Bad or Changed Breath—Topic Overview—general information, not child specific
Canker Sores
- What Is A Canker Sore? Cause and Treatment
- Dental Health: Canker Sores—general information, not child specific
Other Dental Health Information
- Oral Health Care Basics—general information, not child specific; a commercial site:Oral B
Teaching Kids Healthy Smiles
- Teaching Kids Healthy Smiles - A resource website for elementary school teachers and their students, with lots of good information for parents too!