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Coronavirus Disease and Oral Health: Information for Parents About Promoting Good Oral Health at Home

Father holding son up to sink and brushing their teeth together.It is important for parents to serve healthy foods and drinks and promote good oral hygiene habits to keep children’s mouths healthy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and always. Here are tips for some simple things to do at home.

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Eating Healthy Foods and Drinks

  • Serve your child healthy foods that are low in natural and added sugar.
  • Serve milk or tap (faucet) water with meals and snacks.
  • Give your child a variety of healthy snacks, such as cheese and crackers, at scheduled times during the day.
  • Give your child tap water several times a day.
  • Avoid serving drinks that are high in natural or added sugar, such as fruit juice, fruit drinks, and pop/soda.

Practicing Good Oral Hygiene Habits

  • Brush your child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
    • For children under age 3, use a rice-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.
    • For children ages 3 to 6, use a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste.
  • After toothbrushing, rinse the brush and store it upright in a holder to air dry. Do not let toothbrushes touch each other.
  • Do not share toothbrushes. Sharing toothbrushes can transfer disease-causing germs from one person to another.
  • If anyone in the family is sick, keep their toothbrush away from everyone else’s toothbrushes. Replace the toothbrush after the family member is better.

Topic: Oral Health

Keywords:Oral hygiene, Diseases, Dental care