In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, we’ve compiled a list of tips from a dental expert that will take you from newborns to braces.

Ages 0-1
Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur. A baby’s front four teeth usually push through the gums at about 6 months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months.

Teething
Most baby teeth begin to appear generally about six months after birth. During the first few years of your child’s life, all 20 baby teeth will push through the gums and most children will have their full set of these teeth in place by age 3. A baby’s front four teeth usually erupt or push through the gums at about six months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. As their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual.

Ages 1-2
For children younger than 3 years, caregivers should begin brushing children’s teeth as soon as they begin to come into the mouth by using fluoride toothpaste in an amount no more than a smear or the size of a grain of rice. Brush teeth thoroughly twice per day (morning and night) or as directed by a dentist or physician. Supervise children’s brushing to ensure that they use of the appropriate amount of toothpaste.

Ages 3 & up
Brushing
Here are a few tips on how to brush your child’s teeth and the best way to teach them to brush:

• Use a pea-sized dab of toothpaste. Take care that your child does not swallow the toothpaste.
• Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the inside surface of each tooth first, where plaque may accumulate most. Brush gently back and forth.
• Clean the outer surfaces of each tooth. Angle the brush along the outer gum line. Gently brush back and forth.
• Brush the chewing surface of each tooth. Gently brush back and forth.
• Use the tip of the brush to clean behind each front tooth, both top and bottom.
• Brush the tongue
• Rise and spit

Flossing
Flossing helps remove food particles from between the teeth. It’s a good rule of thumb to start flossing your child’s teeth by age 4. By age 8, they should be able to floss their teeth themselves. Dental experts recommend the following technique to teach your child:

• Take about 18 inches of floss and loosely wrap most of it around each middle finger leaving an inch of floss between.
• Gently slide it down between your teeth with your thumb and index fingers holding the floss taut. Be careful not to snap it down on your gums.
• Curve the floss around each tooth in a “C” shape to “hug” the tooth and gently move it up and down the sides of each tooth, including under the gum line.
• Unroll a new section of floss as your move from tooth to tooth.
• After you’ve completed flossing between every tooth, rise and spit.

First Dental Visit
As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that the first dental visit take place within six months after the first tooth appears, but no later than a child’s first birthday. Don’t wait for them to start school or until there’s an emergency. Get your child comfortable today with good mouth healthy habits. To make the visit positive:

• Consider making a morning appointment when children tend to be rested and cooperative.
• Keep any anxiety or concerns you have to yourself. Children can pick up on your emotions, so emphasize the positive.
• Never use a dental visit as a punishment or threat.
• Never bribe your child.
• Talk with your child about visiting the dentist.

During this visit, you can expect the dentist to:

• Inspect for oral injuries, cavities or other problems.
• Let you know if your child is at risk of developing tooth decay.
• Clean your child’s teeth and provide tips for daily care.
• Discuss teething, pacifier use, or finger/thumb-sucking habits.
• Discuss treatment, if needed, and schedule the next check-up

Here are five additional ways the ADA recommends to help prevent child tooth decay.

Brushing with Braces
Remove elastics, bands, or removable parts of orthodontic appliances.
Rise out your mouth to remove any major lose food particles.
With the brush, carefully clean around wires and pins of your braces.
Brush each wire. Move top to bottom, and all the way around upper and lower teeth.Brush your teeth.
Make sure to clean all areas of the tooth. Dental professionals recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice daily. That means each quadrant of your mouth gets 30 seconds. Some people find they get the best clean going tooth by tooth.
Floss once a day. Use waxed floss and thread it carefully under the main wire before passing between two teeth. Don’t snap it—simply move up and down gently, remove, and move on to the next pair of teeth. Waterpiks can also help to make this easier.
Rinse thoroughly. Examine teeth and braces in the mirror, and remember to look for any remaining food particles.

To help keep kids (and adults) healthy this winter, we turned to National Geographic Kids for tips even the youngest kids can understand and utilize to keep themselves as germ-free as possible.

1. Wash your hands with soap and water after you sneeze, cough, or use the bathroom. Count to 20 or sing a couple of rounds of Row, Row, Row Your Boat while you scrub!

2. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.

3. Use a tissue when you need to sneeze or cough. Throw your tissues in the trash—don’t attempt a Guinness World Record for the biggest pile of dirty tissues!

4. If you can’t stifle a cough or sneeze in a tissue quickly enough, sneeze into the crook of your elbow.

5. Take a multi-vitamin every day.

6. Don’t share water bottles or drinks. Your friend might not know he or she is sick and spread germs to you.

7. Don’t share your hairbrush or hat. Little creatures like head lice could be hiding out and could be passed on from one person to another.

8. Stay home from school, sports practice, and parties if you feel sick or have a fever.

9. Wash your dishes with detergent and very warm water to kill germs.

10. Stay away from family gatherings and reunions if you are sick or if one of your family members is sick. Grandma and Grandpa and younger cousins may have a stronger reaction to the illness than you do.

11. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet can help boost your immune system and help you fight off illnesses before they make you sick!

12. Sleep eight or more hours every night. A strong body will help you fend off infections.

13. Wash your hands after you high five, fist bump or shake someone’s hand.

14. Don’t double dip into the salsa or dip.

15. Get some fresh air and exercise every day. Outside air often carries fewer germs than stagnant indoor air.

16. Avoid crowded places like movie theaters and shopping malls if the flu has been reported in your town.

17. Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. These areas are germ spreaders.

18. Don’t share ear buds with friends. They can harbor loads of germs.

19. Blow kisses to your sick friends and family instead of kisses and hugs.

20. Get a flu shot if your doctor or school recommends it.

Are you and your child prepared for their first sleepover? Click over to our check list and see what you need to know before your little one unrolls the sleeping bag.

From salmonella issues to food poisoning, there are many risks to packing your own school lunch. A recent New York Times article offered some advice from experts on how to help prevent children getting sick from a brown bag lunch…(Click through to read more)

'Tis the season for Santa Brain, that time of year where kids write their letters to Santa, visit him at the local mall, obsess and ask a billion questions about the man in red. To help make the Santa experience more interactive, check out these sites and activities… (Click through to read more)

This is a great time of year to encourage the teen in your home to be more engaging during the holiday season. Jo has a few “Do’s and Don’ts” to share with teens that will give them a few things to think about and help them be more interactive during time with extended family. Whether you email them this post, print it out, or discuss it face-to-face, it will help everyone be on the same page and know the expectations for the holiday, and will hopefully lay the groundwork for the entire holiday season.

DO come down from your bedroom to spend time with your relatives

DO keep your cell phone and Nintendos away from the dining table

DO show help with meal time set-up, clean-up, etc. It show your willingness to be a part of the holiday and the family

DO laugh at grandpa’s jokes. Even if you don’t get them, it will make him feel good. Remember, he sat and entertained you long before you were interested in going out with your friends.

DO show the mature teenager you have become by setting an example of great table manners for your younger siblings.

DO remember your parents haven’t forgotten what it was like to be your age. A willingness to spend time with the family without being prompted shows a genuine love to want to celebrate the thanksgiving season. No doubt after dinner you will have time to call friends, have a girlfriend or boyfriend over in the evening and tweet out to a few friends.

And, lastly, DON’T forget to thank your mom or dad for the great spread of food they took time to prepare with love. Trust me, your gratitude will be appreciated beyond that day.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, we know things can be both loving and stressful: a houseful of family, relatives, friends and other guests, children running around and a busy kitchen. We all know children love to help, so, to that end, we wanted to provide you with some ideas on how to get kids helping out in the kitchen, at the dining table and even with the younger kids.
 

Get crafty this Halloween with some spooky D.I.Y. decorations the entire family can make. (Click through for more) …

Packing school lunches (and breakfasts) can sometimes feel like a chore or a challenge. To make it easy, most parents and caretakers pack a sandwich for kids, since it’s easy to eat, not very messy and doesn’t require being heated up. However, if you are looking for some ideas and want to add variety to a child’s lunch, we’ve come up with some alternatives. Watch out, PBJ sandwiches, there are some new kids in town…

We like to start each of these ideas off with a bottle of (frozen) water in the bag itself. This will keep lunch cool until it’s time to eat and the water will be defrosted enough to drink during the lunch period.

• The Sampler: Cut up pita bread into triangles (or you can toast it up in a toaster or oven for a bit to make it more like a crisp or cracker) as a base and pack small containers of hummus, cubes of cheese, and cucumber slices for kids to put together their own combination. Add a banana and a small container of blueberries for a sweet finish.

• The Make-Your-Own Pizza: Pack a personal-sized pita bread an containers or baggies filled with sliced tomato, shredded mozzarella (or a string cheese, for less mess), red/green peppers, and basil (if they enjoy the flavor). This will allow them to put together their own pizza creation for lunch. Add a berry bowl (a mix of strawberries and raspberries or any other kind of fruit your child enjoys) or apple slices for a dessert.

• The Parfait: This is perfect if your child attends a morning program where they will need to bring breakfast, or it can be a great at-home breakfast to make the night before/in the morning with your child. Start with a plain or vanilla yogurt base. Slice and dice a choice of fruit: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and/or mango, for your child to choose from. Have granola on hand as well. Then, in either a travel container the size of a bowl or (if you’re at home) a tall cup, start with a layer of yogurt, than fruit, than another layer of yogurt, then granola, etc. until you reach the top. If you like, drizzle with a little honey to finish it off. When this is made the night before, the granola doesn’t stay crunchy, but absorbs some of the moisture and can have a texture of mushy goodness that is just as delicious (maybe even more so).