New Initiative Focuses on Lifelong Oral Care

Last spring, the New York Times, ran an article on preventing and treating dental disease in children. The article stated that millions of children were suffering from pain and embarrassment of preventable pediatric dental disease.

In response to this problem, the American Association of Periodontology (AAP) has teamed up with a number of other leading dental health organizations to take a leadership role in an initiative to help the general public develop lifelong effective oral health habits.

The new public service campaign targeting parents and caregivers of children stresses the importance of brushing two minutes, two times a day as well as other effective dental health habits.
This month we bring you another article you can share with your patients who are parents or caregivers of children.

Two X Two Minutes

Kids will spend thirty minutes watching their favorite TV show. How about spending two minutes to brush their teeth?

The New York Times recently reported on the shocking statistics of millions of children suffering from pain and embarrassment of preventable pediatric dental disease.

In one story, a 2 ½ year old boy underwent surgery. Eleven of his 20 baby teeth had cavities, two incisors had to be removed, a root canal performed on a molar and the rest had fillings and crowns. The mother said she just had too much on her mind to think about brushing his teeth at night.

While this may be an extreme case, the number of preschoolers requiring extensive dental work suggests that too many other parents may be making the same mistake.

Key dental health organizations have teamed up with the National Ad council to start an initiative to help you and your children develop good, lifelong oral health habits. The cornerstone to the campaign is for kids to brush their teeth two minutes two times a day (2 min 2x).

The key habits promoted by the program include:

  • Brush Twice Daily – Help your kids brush their teeth two minutes each time, two times a day (2 min 2x) for healthier teeth, good breath, fewer cavities, and to avoid painful dental problems. The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives recommends that you help or watch over your kids’ brushing until they’re 8. Children two or older should always use fluoride toothpaste. You might consider purchasing a toothbrush with a timer on it to make sure they brush the full two minutes. Or another fun thing is to sing a song that is in two minutes in length. When the song is over, they can stop brushing.
  • Visit a Dentist – It’s important to visit your dentist regularly your whole life. Regular visits to the dentist keep small problems from becoming big problems. Dentists can see issues like cavities and gum disease before they develop.
  • Floss Daily – Kids should floss daily to remove food and plaque that their brush can’t reach.
  • Use Fluoride – Fluoride can prevent cavities. It can be found in water and is added to most toothpaste to fight cavities.

2min2x.org is a fun and informative website. Developed for you and your kids to find out more about developing good oral health habits, there are videos that show you and your children how to brush properly and other fun videos about dental health care. You will also find great information about oral health habits. Add it to your “Favorites” and visit it often for tips to help you and your children to develop good dental health habits.