DENTAL Health Week this year focuses on the importance of children’s oral health milestones, educating parents and caregivers about what they need to do to help their children reach every S-milestone.
Dental Health Week runs from August 4-10.
Some S-miletones that this week promotes include:
• Birth to first tooth: Clean gums with a soft damp cloth.
• First tooth to 18 months: Brush twice daily with water and take children for their first dental visit.
• Eighteen months to six years: Help brush children’s teeth with children’s low fluoride toothpaste and have regular dental visits.
• From six years: Help brush children’s teeth with adult high-fluoride toothpaste and continue regular dental visits.
Early dental visits will provide children with an initial positive experience of a dental visit and provide parents with information such as tips for brushing teeth with children; advice around teething in children; tooth-friendly foods and drinks, and information around what to expect as your child keeps growing.
Preparing children for dental visits is important and the Australian Dental Association has some tips on how to do this.
This includes play dentist-at-home and count your child’s teeth, read positive stories about going to the dentist and don’t use phrases like “let’s be brave”, as it promotes that a dental visit is something to fear.
The Health Promotion team at Swan Hill District Health coordinate the Dental Health Services Victoria program, Smiles 4 Miles.
The program is delivered to kindergartens, long-day care and family day cares.
During term three, Swan Hill District Health Dental Services and Health Promotion provide dental screenings in kinders and long-day care to children aged three-plus. These screenings give children an opportunity to experience a dental check in a comfortable environment with their peers.
This familiarises children with dental screenings and helps create positive long-term habits with dental checks.
Promoting oral health is important in the early years as it helps to form healthy habits which transition into adulthood and promote long term dental health.
For any dental concerns or to book a check-ups, contact Swan Hill District Health Dental Services on 5033 9336.
