Resources for Improving Your Oral Health

Improving your oral health can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. These resources will inform you about evidence-based, best practices that you can implement at home.

• Visit Your Dentist
  Infants should go to the dentist when their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. Then, for the rest of your life, go to the dentist twice a year to make sure your mouth, teeth, and gums are healthy. Find a dentist near you.

• Brush Your Teeth Two Times A Day
  Brush your teeth at least two times a day with fluoridated toothpaste to protect your teeth and clean out bacteria in your mouth that can cause tooth decay, commonly known as cavities.

• Drink Fluoridated Water
  Avoid sugar sweetened beverages, which cause cavities, and instead drink water.  Drink fluoridated water, if possible, to help protect your teeth from bacteria.

Resources for Everyone

The CDPH created these resources that provide general tips, best practices, and steps you can take that address the following topics: Tips for a Healthy Smile (PDF),  Dental Disease Prevention (PDF), Dental Decay Process (PDF),  and Dental Injury Prevention (PDF)

Other Organizations have developed resources that everyone can use:

• The Oral-Systemic Connection Across the Lifespan (PDF): From pregnancy, childhood, adolesence young adulthood, middle age and older adulthood; the oral health lifespan. 
  
  
• Mouth Healthy brought to you by the American Dental Association: Resources to help persons of all ages develop optimal oral health behaviors. The website is available in English and Spanish.

Resources for Pregnant Women and Infants

• Pregnancy & Dental Care Fact Sheet (PDF)
  

• A healthy smile for your baby - tips to keep your baby healthy, English (PDF) 

• A healthy smile for your baby - tips to keep your baby healthy, Spanish (PDF)
  

• Bacteria/ Disease Transmissibility (PDF): Caregiver’s oral health can impact an infant’s oral health.

• Oral health tips for families and babies. Is Your Baby Teething? English (PDF)
  

• Two Healthy Smiles. Tips to keep you and your baby healthy,  English (PDF). Tips to keep you and your baby healthy, Spanish (PDF)
  

Resources for Children

• National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center: These handouts, prepared by the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness, provide simple instructions and tips for parents on their children’s oral health, including specialized information for children with disabilities.  Topics include brushing your child’s teeth, choosing healthy drinks, finding a dental clinic, getting fluoride, preventing and giving first aid for oral injuries, choosing healthy snacks, and helping your baby with teething pain. Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles, English (PDF, 12.1MB) and Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles, Spanish (PDF, 11.8MB).
  

• A Healthy Smile for You and Your Younger Child: Tips to keep your child healthy. English (PDF) and Tips to keep your child healthy. Spanish (PDF).
  

• 2Min2X: This website, hosted by the Ad Council and the Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives, has fun videos and resources to help your children brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. Brush for Two Minutes, English and Brush for Two Minutes, Spanish
  

• Brush Those Teeth: Tips and tools from Sesame Street designed to help you and your child care for their teeth by following along with fun videos and activities. Brush Those Teeth, English & Spanish
  

Resources for Adults

• Denti-Cal for Adults Fact Sheet: Some adults enrolled in Medicaid in California, commonly known as Medi-Cal, may have dental benefits through Medi-Cal Dental.

• Brushing (PDF): Step-by-step directions with images on how to brush your teeth.

• Flossing (PDF):  Instructions on how to floss your teeth.

Resources for Fluoridation

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is an effective way to prevent and protect teeth from tooth decay. Fluoride stops or can even reverse the tooth decay process, keeping tooth enamel strong and solid, for both children and adults. 

• Fluoride Varnish – Helping Smiles Stay Strong (PDF): Fluoride varnish is a protective coating that is painted on the teeth to protect teeth against tooth decay. This brochure provides an overview of fluoride varnish and a parent checklist after fluoride varnish. Fluoride Varnish, English.  Fluoride Varnish, Spanish
  

• I Like My Teeth: The Campaign for Dental Health provides information for health professionals, scientists, and the public on fluoridated water and community water fluoridation. 
  

• Fluoride Science: The Center for Fluoride Research Analysis evaluates fluoride science by offering topic summaries with abstracts and bibliographies, critical appraisals, critical review and analysis, and interviews with scientists.

If you are having difficulty accessing any of these documents, please contact CDPH at dentaldirector@cdph.ca.gov to request this information in an alternate format.
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