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Dear TRICARE Beneficiary,
What keeps kids out of school more often than the flu, the common cold and chicken pox? Tooth decay.
Oral decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. More than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to oral health-related illnesses.
So what can you do to help stem this tide? Make sure your children know how to take proper care of their pearly whites—teach them about dentist visits and the importance of good oral hygiene, and help them take care of their teeth until they can do it themselves.
A child’s first teeth will start coming in between ages 6 months and 12 months. The front two bottom teeth will come in first, followed by the front four upper teeth. Clean these first few teeth by wiping them with a moist washcloth. As your child gets more teeth, you can use a soft child’s toothbrush.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child’s first visit to the dentist should be when the first tooth comes in. In addition to identifying and preventing problems, an early dentist visit can teach you about your child’s oral health and proper hygiene. Children can develop dental habits at a very early age, and starting them off with the proper habits will help them grow up with healthy smiles.
If a child loses baby teeth by decay, permanent teeth can erupt prematurely and come in crooked because of limited space. According to orthodontists, 30 percent of their cases have their origins in the premature loss of baby teeth.
Here are six important oral hygiene habits:
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Brush at least twice a day to remove plaque. If plaque is not removed, it can lead to cavities.
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Floss daily. Flossing helps remove food debris from in between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach.
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Eat healthy and nutritious foods and limit the intake of sugary carbonated drinks.
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Visit the dentist for regular checkups and cleanings.
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Get fluoride treatments twice a year. Fluoride treatments are extremely beneficial in preventing tooth decay.
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Never put a baby to bed with a bottle; it can cause tooth decay.
To learn more about children’s dental health, visit the Web site of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
You can “brush up” on TRICARE’s dental coverage options by reading “TRICARE Dental Benefits”.
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