February is National Children’s Dental Health Month
This is a good time to make an appointment with your dentist for your child. Dental caries (known as “tooth decay,”) is the most common infectious disease of childhood. Caries is particularly problematic for children from low-income families and certain racial/ethnic groups. The American Academy of Pediatrics’s Bright Futures Guidelines recommend a child’s first dental visit six months after the first tooth erupts or by 12 months of age. Pediatricians increasingly are being trained to assess young children’s oral health as well. For more information on the importance of early dental care, including resources for parents, go to the AAP’s oral health page at http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/oralhealth.cfm .
