Oral Health Basics-What Every Pediatrician Should Know.

As soon as teeth are present, dental care should be discussed at every pediatric well-child visit. Many parents do not ask their pediatricians about dental care, assuming that it is the dentists' domain, but some families do ask lots of questions. Either way, pediatricians should discuss dental care at well visits, answering any questions and offering anticipatory guidance, especially on how to prevent caries. There are many questions from parents about dental care: how to brush, what kind of toothpaste to use, how to stop their child from grinding his or her teeth, whether or not pacifiers are bad for tooth development, and other inquiries that are addressed in the article. This article acts as a quick reference guide for pediatricians, so they are prepared to answer common questions about oral health. [Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(11):e379-e381.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.