It’s really the tooth, the whole tooth: good oral hygiene starts at birth and can help your child’s academic success. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina found “Children with poorer oral health status were more likely to experience dental pain, miss school, and perform poorly in school. These findings suggest that improving children’s oral health status may be a vehicle to enhancing their educational experience.”
In honor of dental health month, Nurse Sue has put together a quiz for parents and caregivers of young children to help shine a light on some common misconceptions about baby teeth and how to care for them.
Download a copy of this quiz to share
Do you know what to do if your child knocks out a tooth?
If a baby tooth is knocked out
Place the tooth in cool milk or water. Take your child to the dentist immediately.If a permanent tooth is knocked out?
Rinse the tooth, but do not scrub. If possible, gently insert the tooth back in the socket, or place it in a glass of water.Take the child and tooth to the dentist immediately.
Further Reading
– American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
– Healthychildren.org – from the American Academy of Pediatrics
