3 Cheers for the Early Years

Health Promotion

Oral Health

Information for Professionals | Health Promotion | Initiatives | Evaluation

The role of Oral Health in healthy child development:

Babies are born with teeth – they are under their gums at birth. First teeth usually start showing through the gums when children are 6 to 10 months old, although some babies get them earlier.

Many people think baby teeth aren’t important because they fall out. However, healthy baby teeth help children eat, learn to talk, hold spaces for adult teeth and build good self esteem.

Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases, yet it can be prevented. Early childhood cavities (sometimes called Early Childhood Caries or ECC) can painfully and rapidly destroy children’s teeth and cause unnecessary financial hardship for families.

When you start teaching them early, children learn good oral health habits that will last them their lifetime.

How can you support Oral Health in your work?

If you work with children:

Encourage tooth brushing after meals and snacks while children are in your care. If you have a number of children at your facility, you will need to think about issues of cross-contamination, however, it can be done. Many children spend a significant amount of time in the care of someone other than their parents. By encouraging them to brush at home and away, you are helping to set up good oral health habits for life!
Make it fun! Sing a song for the children as they brush their teeth. The children’s entertainer Raffi has a very upbeat song “Brush Your Teeth” on his CD Singable Songs for the Very Young but even the ABC song will do, and the side benefit is that they’ll learn the alphabet at the same time!

If you work with parents:

Bacteria that causes tooth decay can be passed from parent to child via sharing spoons, cups or cleaning off a soother or bottle nipple by licking it.
Children whose mothers have tooth decay have a greater risk of developing it themselves.
Advise parents to never prop a bottle in their baby’s mouth. Not only is it a choking hazard, the constant bathing of the mouth in liquids other than water can lead to early childhood caries.
Advice for oral health care changes as the child ages (for example, how much toothpaste does my child need?). Encourage parents to read the Oral Health sections that pertain to their child’s age in their copy of Growing Miracles.