Dental Health in Child Care

Brushing child's teeth

Promoting good dental health begins in early childhood. Child care providers can help children learn how to care for their teeth and encourage good dental hygiene.

Children who learn good oral hygiene habits early tend to practice good dental health as they get older and are less likely to have cavities and other dental problems. The following articles describe some ways that child care providers can help promote good dental health in children.

Keeping Children's Teeth Clean in Child Care

Brushing child's teeth

Child care providers can help promote young children’s dental health by teaching good dental habits. Here are some general tips for child care providers to help keep children’s teeth healthy.

  • Begin good dental care early. Start cleaning infants’ gums even before teeth appear. Child care providers should wipe infants’ gums after each feeding to remove germs. Encourage parents to clean infants’ gums at home and suggest that they begin using a small toothbrush without toothpaste when the first tooth appears.