The Daily News

As Dental Health Awareness Month runs during February, West Central Initiative is pushing families to take precautionary measures for their kids' teeth.

The Early Childhood Dental Network through WCI suggests parents take a few basic steps each day, such as cleaning their children's teeth or gums after each feeding. Parents shouldn't give a bottle to their child in bed, or use sippy cups unless they contain water.

"Liquid from the bottle or sippy cup pools around the child's teeth, providing food for bacteria," states a Early Childhood Dental Network press release. "The bacteria forms acids that dissolve tooth enamel, causing decay."

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Although it's financially difficult for some parents to provide consistent care for their children, Early Childhood Dental Network says they should schedule regular appointments each year. According to WCI's Web site, tooth decay is one of the most preventable diseases in children and occurs five times more often than asthma. Fifty percent of tooth decay in low income children goes untreated.

Parents should also pay close attention to their children's baby teeth. In a worst-case scenario, they can suffer from acute pain and tooth loss if parents don't take initiative early on. Dysfunctional speech patterns, space loss and even poor school performance can be traced back to pain from tooth decay.

The Early Childhood Dental Network partners with Apple Tree Dental and annually holds outreach clinics for children 0 to 12 years of age around the area. A dental outreach clinic is set for April 8 and 9 at Breckenridge Elementary School.

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