Oral Health is an important part of overall health and well-being. Achieving and maintaining a healthy mouth requires that you know what to do to achieve this goal.  The NH Oral Health Coalition has put together information on how to start and maintain good oral health for women who are pregnant, parents and caregivers. 

We know that you want a healthy life and to take good care of your children.  Neglecting oral health can affect your life, your pregnancy, and the lives of your children and loved ones. So, what are you supposed to do? Sometimes you just don’t have enough information to get the job done.  We hope to give you that information so that you and your family can be healthier.

One of the things that we stress is that dental disease is most often caused by Strep Mutans bacteria in the mouth. The bacteria lives on sugars and starches and produces acid that weakens and destroys tooth enamel and causes cavities.  These cavity-causing bacteria are contagious, and parents can unknowingly pass them on to their children.  Reducing the “bad bacterial load” in your mouth is very important to stop the cycle of dental disease in your family. You do this by developing good oral hygiene habits and by seeing a dentist regularly.

This toolkit offers information and recommendations to help pregnant women, parents and caretakers reduce this risk and develop healthy routines.  We invite you to visit the toolkit webpages:

Oral Health During Pregnancy

• Why mouth healthy habits are particularly important during pregnancy.
• Dental treatment is safe during pregnancy.
• Morning sickness is hard on your teeth and what you should do about it.

Taking Care of your Baby’s Teeth 

• How to take care of your baby’s oral health before he or she gets teeth.
• When you can expect your baby to get teeth and why baby teeth are important.
• Why your baby should visit the dentist by his or her first birthday and what to expect.

Taking Care of your Child’s Teeth

• Mouth Healthy Habits you should teach your child.
• Why baby teeth matter.
• When to expect your child’s baby teeth to come in and fall out.

Printable Brochures Informational brochures for patients of pediatric, family medicine, and obstetrics practices.
	Oral health is important to you and your baby  click here to download the pamphlet.
	Caring for your baby’s teeth  click here to download the pamphlet.
	Caring for your child’s teeth click here to download the pamphlet

The Mouth Healthy Habits Tool Kit was funded by a grant from Northeast Delta Dental.