Healthy Eating Equals Healthy Teeth

Diet plays a critically important role in the health of your child’s teeth. Developing healthy eating habits early in life will help ensure strong and healthy adult teeth. A recent Australian report indicates that dental decay rates are rising among 6 year olds. Good oral health during infancy and the toddler years contributes to better dental health throughout life with less dental decay and lower rates of missing teeth.

Early Childhood Caries:

As soon as your baby develops their first tooth, they are at risk of dental decay. Decay in babies and toddlers are known as Early Childhood Caries (ECC). To help prevent ECC, follow the guidelines below:

• If your baby has teeth, don’t settle them to sleep with a breastfeed or bottle of milk, sweetened flavored milk, cordial, soft drink or fruit juice. Bacteria feed on the sugar in these drinks and form plaque acids on the teeth, which eat into the tooth surface and cause decay.
• Never allow your child to take a bottle of milk or other sugary beverages to bed. When they are older, it is fine to place water on their bedside table in case they get thirsty overnight.
• If your baby has a breastfeed or bottle of milk before bed, then gently wipe down their teeth with a moistened cloth before putting them to bed.
• Breast and bottle feeding regularly throughout the night once a child is over 12 months can contribute to ECC. Speak with your maternal and/or child health care adviser if your baby still needs an overnight feed
• Avoid giving your baby or toddler frequent snacks; three meals and two snacks per day is sufficient to meet dietary needs
• If your baby suffers from a dry mouth (lack of saliva) and is a mouth breather, they are at greater risk of ECC. Speak with your dentist if you think your baby may suffer from a dry mouth
• Good oral hygiene begins at birth. See the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) fact sheet on oral hygiene for babies and toddlers for guidelines on cleaning your baby’s gums and teeth.

Source:www.babyteeth.com.au/HealthyEating.html

Time goes quickly, and we’re in the 8th week of Day Care. Activities through themes such as “I am Special”, “My Senses”, and “Yummy Food” have been delivered to the children. They enjoyed printing their hands and feet and let the parent guess who the printing belongs to at the pickup time.

They also participated in pretend play about their dreams in the future. The children also exercised their tactile senses through “Number & ABC Braille” and play sand. Last week they made “Paper Pizza”, pasted cut out pictures about food “I like …and I don’t like…” and pasted cut out pictures of healthy food from magazines. This week they will have adventures in “dinosaurs” world.

Term break is coming this month and we present you r child, a VACATION DAY CARE program, during September 26th-30th and October 3rd-7th 2011. Through vacation theme “Children & Fashion”, your children can learn how to express themselves through art works in fashionable way. Let’s join!!!