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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Division of Oral Health
Mail Stop F-10
4770 Buford Highway NE
Atlanta, GA 30341

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Brush Up on Healthy Teeth:
Simple Steps for Kids’ SmilesThis page in Spanish - Esta pagina en espanol

Learn more about keeping your child’s teeth healthy with this true or false quiz.

  1. _T or F_ All children older than 6 months should receive a fluoride supplement every day.

  2. _T or F_ Parents should start cleaning their child’s teeth as soon as the first tooth appears.

  3. _T or F_ Parents should start brushing their child’s teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride at age 3.

  4. _T or F_ Children younger than 6 years should use enough toothpaste with fluoride to cover the toothbrush.

  5. _T or F_ Parents should brush their child’s teeth twice a day until the child can handle the toothbrush alone.

  6. _T or F_ Young children should always use fluoride mouth rinses after brushing.

ANSWERS

  1. False. Check with your child’s doctor or dentist about your child’s specific fluoride needs. Parents of a child older than 6 months should discuss the need for a fluoride supplement with the doctor or dentist if drinking water does not have enough fluoride to help prevent cavities.
    Back to Questions

  2. True. Start cleaning as soon as the first tooth appears. Wipe teeth every day with a clean, damp cloth. Switch to a small, soft toothbrush as more teeth come in.
    Back to Questions

  3. False. Parents should start using toothpaste with fluoride to brush their child’s teeth at age 2. Toothpaste with fluoride may be used earlier if the child’s doctor or dentist recommends it.
    Back to Questions

  4. False. Young children should use only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is important for fighting cavities, but if children younger than 6 years swallow too much fluoride, their permanent teeth may have white spots. Using no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste with fluoride can help keep this from happening.
    Back to Questions

  5. True. Children usually do not have the skill to brush their teeth well until around age 4 or 5. Parents should brush their young child’s teeth thoroughly twice a day until the child can handle the toothbrush alone.
    Back to Questions

  6. False. Fluoride mouth rinses have a high concentration of fluoride. Children younger than 6 years should not use fluoride mouth rinses unless the child’s doctor or dentist recommends it. Young children tend to swallow rather than spit, and swallowing too much fluoride before age 6 may cause the permanent teeth to have white spots.
    Back to Questions

To receive copies of Brush Up on Healthy Teeth: Simple Steps for Kids’ Smiles, send a request to brushup@cdc.gov 

One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents.

Page last reviewed: September 14, 2009
Page last modified: September 14, 2009
Content source: Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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