What’s most disturbing about childhood dental disease is it is pervasive despite being nearly 100 percent preventable. The truth is cavities are not normal or inevitable. They are not a rite of passage. And only in rare cases does one have “bad teeth.”

Cavities can be prevented when families take a few minutes every day to brush their teeth together. This means parents need to start brushing their young child’s teeth from the moment his or her first tooth arrives. When parents brush their children’s teeth every day, they set a positive example lasting a lifetime. This also gives parents the opportunity to help their kids get to those hard-to-reach places, while ensuring they’re not just playing in the bathroom. Take the pledge to brush your child’s teeth every day. You can do this at BrushwithMe.com or CepillaConmigo.com, both hosted by Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation.

Michael Okuji

Denver