National Children's Dental Health Month: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

February is National Children's Dental Health Month. It's the first step toward a lifetime of good dental health. Your child's first dental check up. Pediatric dentist Dr. Ashley Patnoe, expects to see her patients for the first time by their first birthday or about six months after their first tooth comes in. And she recommends taking care of baby's gums long before that.

Dr. Ashley Patnoe
The best thing to do at birth is start cleaning the gums with a soft, warm, wet wash cloth. And as soon as the first tooth erupts, start using a small soft bristled tooth brush.

Your toddler's teeth need special care. Decay rates for that age group are on the rise. Dentists blame too much soda and too much juice. Dr. Patnoe says be careful which toothpaste you use. Don't use a child's floridated paste until they're old enough to spit it out.

Dr. Patnoe
You don't want to use flouride if they can swallow it because it could make them ill, vomit, if they ate a large quantity of toothpaste.

The focus of Children's Denatl Health Month is to make sure children everywhere have the proper dental care. A process that starts at home and continues for a lifetime. Producing the biggest and brightest smiles.

Dr. Patnoe recommends children drink their floridated tap water. If you have well water, free flouride testing kids are available throught the state. Your pediatrician or pediatric dentist will have details on that for you.