When your child's first tooth appears, it's a cause for celebration. But your kid's first cavity? Not so much. But please don't stress too much because your child isn't alone. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), kids ages 2-11, on average, have 1.6 decayed baby teeth – with older kids ages 12-19 having, on average, 0.45 permanent teeth with tooth decay.
Now's the time to learn about everything that causes cavities and how they affect your child's health – and then make a plan to prevent any more cavities from forming. To help you, we present the information you need and a plan you and your child can work on together.