Dr. Victor Siegel - Blog

As any parent knows, it's hard enough to get your child or teenager to eat a healthy snack after school.  But now that spring sports practices and games are fully underway, we now have a new challenge-finding a healthy snack to transition from the school day to practice before finally making  it back home many hours later.  Dr. Victor Siegel, your Rockville area dentist, encourages healthy snacks and lots of water so that your child stays energetic throughout his activities, not to mention maintaining a healthy mouth!

When did you start brushing your child's teeth?  According to the American Dental Association,  your baby's mouth should be wiped after each feeding within a few days of birth.  After the first tooth has erupted, a child size toothbrush should be used to clean his or her teeth, rinsing with water, until your child is able to spit out toothpaste.  Why is it so important to start brushing at such a young age? Because dentists are increasingly seeing cavities in young children at all income levels.  In fact it is not uncommon to see 6-10 cavities in one preschooler's mouth!  It is not too late to stop, or at least slow down, this problem, however:

• Give your child fluoridated tap water instead of bottled water
• No juice or other sweetened beverages at bedtime
• Limit between meal snacking
• Brush your child's teeth twice a day
• Visit the dentist to have your child assessed for cavity risk