Good oral health for good general health (babies)

Children should have their teeth brushed by an adult as soon as the first tooth erupts, using a toothpaste containing at least 1000ppm fluoride

Key health professionals for delivering this care:
  • Midwives
  • Health visitors
  • Nursery nurses
Key Messages:
  • Good oral health is important for good general health.  Mouthcare is an important part of personal care
  • In order to care for your child’s mouth, it is important to know how to care for your own mouth
  • A child’s first teeth (baby/deciduous teeth) are just as important as the adult teeth - poor oral health behaviour will affect both teeth and gums
  • Tooth decay can cause pain, infection, sleepless nights, time off nursery/school and time off work for parents/carers
  • Small children often need a general anaesthetic to have decayed teeth removed, which can be an unpleasant experience and is not without risk
  • Baby (deciduous) teeth are important to guide the adult teeth into the right position. If they are lost early, the spaces for the adult teeth can be lost, and they may come through crooked
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