The bad news: Tooth decay (dental caries) affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease. The good news: Tooth decay is preventable.

Each February the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month, and each year Dental Associates, with offices in Danbury, New Milford, Newtown and Trumbull, steps up its efforts to inform the community on the importance of early and preventive dental care.

Since 1993 Dental Associates has celebrated National Children’s Dental Health Month by visiting local preschools and primary schools speaking to thousands of area children about the importance of dental care. The doctors and staff use props to demonstrate to the children the correct way to brush and floss their teeth, play games that focus on foods that are either good or bad for the teeth, and encourage the children to ask questions.

Proper brushing, flossing, fluoride and dental sealants have the potential to eliminate tooth decay in school-age children. Since it is one of the most common diseases of childhood – 5 times as common as asthma and 7 times as common as hay fever - here are some things you can do to ensure good oral health for your child:

• The teeth develop in a fetus around the eighth week of gestation, so pregnant woman should seek prenatal care and eat a healthy diet.
• Before your baby’s teeth appear (around six months of age), clean their mouth and gums of milk, juice and food with gauze or a damp washcloth. This prevents decay of the teeth under the gums and also gets the baby used to you cleaning the inside of their mouth which will make brushing easier when teeth do emerge.
• Put only water in your baby’s bottle at bedtime or naptime. Breast milk, formula, juices, and other drinks contain sugar. The pooling of these sugary drinks while baby sleeps significantly increases the risk of tooth decay.
• Visit a pediatric dentist when the first tooth erupts or by the child’s first birthday.
• Encourage your children to eat regular, nutritious meals and avoid between-meal snacking.
• Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride. If your child is less than 7 years old, put only a pea-sized amount on their toothbrush. If your drinking water is not fluoridated, talk to a dentist or pediatrician about fluoride supplements. Most parents do not know that too much fluoride also has negative effects on the teeth.
• Saving baby teeth until they are lost naturally is important so talk to your child’s dentist about dental sealants because they are an excellent and inexpensive way to protect the teeth from decay.
• Take proper care of your own teeth. Not only does it set a good example, but studies have shown that babies and toddlers can actually “catch” cavity causing bacteria from their parents.

More than half of children aged 5-9 have had at least one cavity or filling while78 percent of 17-year-olds have experienced tooth decay. Sadly, the daily reality for children with untreated oral disease is often constant pain, inability to eat comfortably or chew well, embarrassment and anxiety from discolored and damaged teeth, and disruption from daily play and learning.

Early preventive dental care is also a good financial investment. Some parents do not take their children to the dentist in an effort to save money or if they feel the child’s teeth are in good health. Studies have revealed that the cost for children who have visited the dentist before age one are 45% lower in the first five years compared to children who did not visit the dentist by their first birthday. Other benefits to early dental visits include establishing a “dental home,” assessment of the child’s at-home dental hygiene routine, and the opportunity for the dentist to uncover potential problems that are more difficult and costly to address once the child is older. To encourage positive dental visits and alleviate fears, Dental Associates’ pediatric/orthodontic teams have created child-friendly atmospheres in each office which are separate from the adult offices, and include toys, video games, prizes and a specially-trained kid-friendly staff. When a child is excited and comfortable to see the dentist, they will make oral hygiene an important part of their life as they grow in adulthood and therefore will face less traumatic and costly dental visits in the future. And if there is ever a dental emergency such as a knocked-out tooth, or if the child needs braces, going to an office they are already familiar with will be much less stressful for the child – and the parents.