Pregnancy and Beyond

Fluoride is the best prevention for tooth decay. During your child's infancy and early childhood, your health care provider may prescribe vitamins and fluoride. The American Dental Association recommends that children receive adequate fluoride from infancy until 16 years of age. An early fluoride supplement is helpful for developing healthy baby teeth and leads to healthy permanent teeth. If your water supply is fluoridated, no supplements should be used.

Do not prop bottles in baby's mouth. This can lead to "baby bottle tooth decay."