Healthy mouths are important, even for babies and young children. That’s why leading dentistry and health organizations recommend children see a dentist by age 1.
Many kids aren’t getting to the dentist that early. On average, kids in South Dakota don’t visit the dentist until age 3, even though they may see their medical provider many times by age 3 for well-child appointments.
That’s why we work with health care providers to include oral health care in early childhood visits to the doctor. The program is called Partners for Prevention, and the goal is to prevent cavities for our state’s youngest kids age 5 and under.
Our Registered Dental Hygienists provide oral health care training to a wide range of health care practitioners:
In addition to general oral health information, these partners in prevention are trained to apply fluoride varnish to kids who may be at high risk of cavities. The quick and easy dental treatment – a liquid painted on teeth – prevents cavities by making tooth enamel stronger.
Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood. It’s also nearly 100% preventable. That makes every partner important to make sure kids have healthy smiles.