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Parents & Families

Chewing Gum Containing Xylitol Can Help Protect Teeth!

While nothing can replace the importance of brushing and flossing twice a day, did you know that chewing sugarless gum can help keep cavities away?

There are many different kinds of chewing gum available at the store. Many of them are sugar-free and have artificial sweeteners in them to make them taste good.

Chewing any type of sugar-free gum can help keep your mouth clean, since gum chewing produces saliva, which bathes teeth in a cavity-fighting rinse.

Is Fluoride Rinse Right For Your Child?

The quick answer is: YES!

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in water. Fluoride is very important for children as their teeth grow and they get older because it helps to stop cavities and makes their teeth stronger. When a tooth is weakened by tooth decay, fluoride is absorbed into the tooth to make it strong again.

One way to help your child get enough fluoride is to use a fluoride rinse after brushing.

What is a fluoride rinse?

Parents & Families: Learn About The Friendly People You Meet At the Dentist's Office

It’s important to know who you and your child will meet at a dental visit. People who work in a dentist's office are usually friendly and they are there because they care about keeping your child’s teeth and gums healthy.

Here are some of the different types of people you will meet when you visit the dentist's office.

Receptionist

Why Baby Teeth Matter

 
Many parents believe that primary (baby) teeth are less important than permanent teeth because primary teeth are going to “fall out anyway.” However, primary teeth are key to a child’s growth and development in five important ways. 
 

Disturbing gaps in oral health literacy

Written by: Alice Horowitz and Dushanka V. Kleinman

This guest blog post was co-authored by Alice Horowitz and Dushanka V. Kleinman, faculty members at University of Maryland School of Public Health (SPH). This blog post was written for the Children's Dental Health Project blog: TeethMatter and is shared with permission.

Rhode Island Mission of Mercy

Free Dental Care for Rhode Islanders - Rhode Island Mission of Mercy to Be Held on May 30 and 31 at CCRI's Flanagan Campus in Lincoln
 
Regular dental visits provide a chance for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of oral diseases for people of all ages. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to see a dentist, whether it’s because of a lack of dental insurance, the inability to take time off from work, or simply not realizing that a healthy mouth is important to a healthy body. 
 

Toothsavers Brushing Game & Mobile App Makes Brushing Fun!

Toothsavers Brushing Game & Mobile App Makes Brushing Fun!
 
Right now, 91% of American adults spend an average of 2 hours per day using their cellphone for activities other than making phone calls. Children are also using their parents’ phones, and the games they play on them can have a big impact on their habits. 
 

Visit Our New Webpage: Keeping Teeth Healthy at Home!

There's a lot that parents and caregivers can do to keep a child's teeth healthy at home.

In fact, good oral health starts there by brushing twice a day for two minutes each time, and flossing once a day. Good tooth care combined with regular visits to the dentist can be very helpful in preventing problems.

Every stage of childhood has its own set of recommendations for tooth care.

TeethFirst! has put together a handy guide for parents and caregivers to follow so they will know how to care for a child's teeth starting from birth to over age 8.

Announcing Our New Web Page: Nutrition for Healthy Teeth

Did you know that even though you can't see them yet, a baby's teeth are almost completely formed at birth? Even a baby's permanent teeth are starting to form at the same time! This means that even though you might not be able to see them yet, it is very important to feed your child healthy foods that will help keep teeth growing strong.  And even though your young child will lose her baby teeth, it is still very important to take good care of them like you would care for her permanent adult teeth.

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