Every tooth has a specific job or function

• Incisors – the sharp, chisel-shaped front teeth (four upper, four lower) used for cutting food.
• Canines – sometimes called cuspids, these teeth are shaped like points (cusps) and are used for tearing food.
• Premolars – these teeth have two pointed cusps on their biting surface and are sometimes referred to as bicuspids. The premolars are for crushing and tearing.
• Molars – used for grinding, these teeth have several cusps on the biting surface.

• Brush at least twice a day and floss daily to remove plaque from between teeth and below the gumline
• Have regular dental checkups. Preventive care can help stop problems from occurring and keep minor problems from becoming major ones
• Eat a well-balanced diet that limits starchy or sugary foods. When you do eat these foods, try to eat them with your meal instead of as a snack to minimize the number of times that your teeth are exposed to acid
• Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
• Make sure that your children’s drinking water is fluoridated. If your water supply does not contain fluoride, your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe daily fluoride supplements

Fluoride is a natural mineral found throughout the earth’s crust and widely distributed in nature. Some foods and water supplies contain fluoride.

Fluoride is often added to drinking water to help reduce tooth decay. In the 1930s, researchers found that people who grew up drinking naturally fluoridated water had up to two-thirds fewer cavities than people living in areas without fluoridated water. Studies since then have repeatedly shown that when fluoride is added to a community’s water supply, tooth decay decreases. The American Dental Association, the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, among many other organizations, have endorsed the use of fluoride in water supplies because of its effect on tooth decay.

Fluoride helps prevent cavities in two different ways:

• Fluoride concentrates in the growing bones and developing teeth of children, helping to harden the enamel on baby and adult teeth before they emerge
• Fluoride helps to harden the enamel on adult teeth that have already emerged
• Fluoride works during the demineralization and remineralization processes that naturally occur in your mouth.
• After you eat, your saliva contains acids that cause demineralization – a dissolving of the calcium phosphate under the tooth’s surface
• At other times when your saliva is less acidic it does just the opposite, replenishing the calcium phosphate  that keep your teeth hard. This process is caused remineralization. When fluoride is present during remineralization, the minerals deposited are harder than they would otherwise be, helping to strengthen your teeth and prevent dissolution during the next demineralization phase

If your drinking water is fluoridated, then brushing regularly with a fluoride toothpaste is considered sufficient for adults and children with healthy teeth at low risk of decay.

If your community’s water is not fluoridated and does not have enough natural fluoride in it (1 part per million is considered optimal), then your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe fluoride tablets or drops for your children to take daily. Your dentist or pediatrician can tell you how much fluoride is right for your family, so be sure to ask for his or her advice.

If your water comes from a public water supply, you can find out if it’s fluoridated by calling your local water district. If your water comes from a private well, you can have it analyzed by an independent environmental testing company that provides water-testing services.

Your child can fall asleep without a bottle! Here are five tips to try:

• Let your child take a “security” blanket, teddy bear, doll, or favorite toy to bed
• Quietly sing or play restful music
• Hold or rock your child
• Give your child a back rub to help him or her to relax
• Read or tell your child a story

• Tooth loss
• Ear and speech problems
• Crooked permanent teeth
• Severe pain
• Poor self-image
• Tooth decay

• Get into the habit of putting your baby to bed without a bottle
• Never put the baby to bed with a bottle filled with formula, milk, juice, sugar water, or soda pop. If your baby must have a bottle to go to sleep, fill it with water
• Do not let your infant walk around with a bottle
• Start teaching your infant to use a cup between 6-12 months. Trade your baby’s bottle for a training cup by age one
• Check with your doctor or dentist to make sure your child is getting enough fluoride each day

Your child’s healthy teeth and brilliant smile depend on you!