Dental decay (caries) is the most common chronic childhood disease. Early childhood caries may occur shortly after the first tooth comes in at about 6 months.
Here are some tips for avoiding cavities:
- Do not allow your baby to drink continuously from a bottle during naps or through the night. The natural sugar in breast milk, infant formula, and juice may cause tooth decay.
- Do not use a baby bottle filled with milk or juice as a pacifier. Your baby’s need to suck can be satisfied with fingers or a pacifier.
- Clean your baby’s teeth as soon as they come in. (That is the time for the first dental visit.) Wipe teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze twice daily.
For more information about oral health, call 311.
New York City law requires owners of multiple dwellings (three or more apartments in a building) to supply, properly install, and maintain window guards in any apartment where children 10 years of age or younger live. If you don’t already have window guards, get them now. Contact your building owner and let them know you have a child and need window guards installed. Owners are required to install window guards at no cost to you. In fact, owners must provide window guards to anyone who requests them for any reason, regardless of the type of dwelling or whether a child lives there. It is against the law to refuse or interfere with window guard installation, or to remove window guards from windows where they are required.
For more information about window guards, call 311.
