Prisma Health encourages healthy habits during Children’s Dental Health Month

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Prisma Health is encouraging all parents and children to build healthy dental habits during National Children’s Dental Health Month. Attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical in maintaining good oral health, according to James Curtis, DMD, chair of Prisma Health Dentistry.

“Good oral health is a vital part of good overall health,” said Curtis. “Proper care, including regular dental check-ups and establishing healthy routines, are important. We encourage all parents to keep current with regular check-ups for their children so we can support their at-home dental care efforts.”

Curtis offers these tips to help you and your child learn how to keep teeth clean and healthy in all stages of life.

1. Teach healthy habits. Good dental care is modeled behavior. Let your child see you caring for your teeth and gums on a frequent basis.
2. Establish a dentist early on. The American Dental Association recommends the establishment of a relationship with a dentist by the child’s first birthday, and it is important for the child’s first experience going to the dentist to be a pleasant and positive one.
3. Watch the sugary drinks. A child shouldn’t be sipping on juices, sweetened beverages or soft drinks. Apple juice and other juices are very acidic and they contain natural sugar, which is harmful to tooth enamel. Limit juices to 6 ounces a day, preferably with a meal. A child’s mouth and teeth should be cleaned after having milk or juice. 
4. Be diligent with young children’s teeth. A child, until about age 7, does not have the motor skills necessary to brush properly and certainly cannot floss effectively. Parents need to be extra diligent in keeping their child’s mouth clean from six months to three years of age. This is when the primary teeth erupt. The next cavity prone phase occurs when the permanent teeth begin to erupt, usually between 5 and 6 for girls and a little later for most boys.
5. Teach flossing when they’re young. Most tweens go through a stage when taking care of their teeth is not among their priorities. If a child has been exposed to the bacteria that cause dental decay, this is a time when the child is particularly susceptible to cavities. Be sure to introduce flossing at a young age. Children may require extra supervision and support during their grade school and middle school years.

“Throughout your child’s developing years, it is important to seek the advice of a dentist and instill good dental care practices. When they become adults with bright, healthy smiles, they will thank you for it,” said Curtis.

For more information about Prisma Health Dentistry or to request an appointment, call 803-434-6567.

About Prisma Health

Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,947 beds and more than 300 physician practice sites, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually. Its goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.