Oral health is an important part of overall health. Your child is not healthy without a healthy mouth.

Experts recommend that every child have their teeth checked by a dentist or physician by their first birthday.

Dental decay affects your child’s health

•   Cavities can be painful.

•   Cavities can interfere with a child’s ability to eat well

•   Dental disease is an infection that may affect a child’s overall health

Dental decay can be expensive

•   Dental problems can grow quickly and become costly to treat

•   The lifetime cost of a single cavity is more than $2,000

•   It makes sense to prevent dental disease, rather than pay for treatment

Dental disease is preventable

•   Ask your dentist or physician to check your baby’s teeth

•   Learn how to take care of your baby’s teeth

For many children, preventive oral health care is paid for by insurance

Preventing dental decay puts your baby on the path toward a lifetime of good oral health

“When it comes to health, we need to stop separating the mouth from the body. Baby teeth are essential for an infant who will soon be developing language skills and chewing food.” – Dr. Irene Hunter, dentist and Chair of Washington Dental Service Foundation.