Text alternative: Healthy Mouths for Kids at School

​​How to keep teeth healthy

Food and drinks

• Offer your child healthy snacks like cheese, vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, and plain yoghurt.
• Make water your family's drink.

Brushing teeth

• Brush teeth after breakfast and before bed using fluoride toothpaste.
• Help children brush their teeth until they are about 8 years old.

Dental check-ups

• Children should have their teeth checked regularly.
• If children play contact sport, they should wear a well-fitted mouthguard to reduce the risk of injury to their teeth.

Did you know?

• Once a child gets tooth decay, it can get worse quickly.
• Tooth decay can cause pain and infection.
• Children with tooth decay may have trouble eating, sleeping and focusing in class.

What can cause tooth decay?

• Acid made by bacteria (germs) feeding on the sugary drinks and sticky food you eat.
  
• Constantly sipping on sugary drinks like fruit juice, cordials and soft drinks throughout the day.
• Eating food like cakes, biscuits, pastries and lollies between meals.
• Eating savoury snacks that stick to teeth like potato chips, puffed rice, corn crackers and crispbreads.
• Not brushing teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

Dental services in NSW

NSW Public Dental Services provide free dental care to adults who have a Medicare card and either hold or are listed as a dependent on a valid Australian Government concession card.

Public Dental Services are free for children under 18 years with a Medicare card. Parents or guardians must sign a Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) Bulk Billing Patient Consent Form. If a child is not eligible for CDBS or has already used their benefit, care is still provided at no cost.

To access NSW Public Dental Services, call: 1800 679 336 or go to Public dental services - Information for patients.

If you need an Interpreter Servic,e call 13 14 50.

Some Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO) provide dental care for their community. Each ACCHO may have different eligibility criteria and appointment processes for their dental programs. For more information, go to Aboriginal Community Controlle​d Health Services.

To find a private dentist, go to Australian Dental Association.