Caring for a Child’s Space Maintainer: Brushing Around the Band and Foods to Avoid

The first night home, most parents do the same thing: they pull the child’s lip aside under the bathroom light and stare at a tiny silver band hugging a molar, with a thin wire bridging a gap where a baby tooth used to be. It looks small. It also looks like something that could trap every crumb of dinner.

That instinct is right, and it is the whole point of space maintainer care. The appliance is a placeholder, not a repair. Its only job is to keep a lane open until a permanent tooth arrives, sometimes months from now, sometimes years. Whether it does that job depends less on the dentist’s cement than on what happens at your sink twice a day and in your kitchen three times a day.

This guide covers the practical parts nobody has time to explain in a ten-minute appointment: how to brush around the band, which foods genuinely cause trouble, what the first days feel like, and which signs mean you should pick up the phone.

What a space maintainer actually does, and why the gap matters

A space maintainer is a small dental appliance, usually metal, that holds open the space left when a baby tooth is lost too early. It is cemented to a neighboring tooth and keeps the teeth on either side from drifting into the empty spot.

Why does drifting matter? Teeth are not fixed in bone like fence posts. They shift toward any open space, and a baby molar lost to decay or injury at age five can leave a gap that the adjacent teeth start to close within weeks. The permanent tooth developing underneath then has nowhere to go. It may erupt crooked, come in blocked, or crowd the teeth beside it. Baby teeth normally fall out on their own schedule, beginning around age 6 and finishing near age 12, according to Mayo Clinic, and the permanent tooth beneath each one is usually ready to take its place. The problem arises when the timing breaks down.

The appliance works purely by physics. A band wraps the tooth behind the gap, a wire loop extends forward to touch the tooth in front, and the loop resists the sideways pressure that would otherwise close the space. Nothing about it moves teeth; it simply refuses to let them move. When the permanent tooth begins to erupt, the dentist removes the appliance and the new tooth finishes its journey in the space that was preserved for it.

Two consequences follow for care. First, the band-tooth junction is a plaque trap, because a metal edge now sits where gum meets enamel. Second, cement is strong but not indestructible, and the appliance survives only as long as the cement bond does. Almost everything in the rest of this article traces back to those two facts.

Types of space maintainers: a quick comparison

Dentists choose the design based on which tooth was lost, how many teeth are missing, and whether the permanent tooth has already started to erupt. The names sound technical, but the differences matter for cleaning.

Type	Typical situation	Fixed or removable	Cleaning focus
Band-and-loop	One baby molar lost on one side	Fixed (cemented)	Band edge at the gum line; under the loop
Crown-and-loop	Anchor tooth already has a crown	Fixed	Crown margins; under the loop
Distal shoe	Second baby molar lost before the first permanent molar has erupted	Fixed	Gum tissue around the extension; requires closer monitoring
Lower lingual holding arch	Teeth lost on both sides of the lower jaw	Fixed	Wire behind the front teeth; both band sites
Nance appliance	Teeth lost on both sides of the upper jaw	Fixed	Small acrylic button on the palate; both band sites
Removable acrylic plate	Multiple teeth missing or cooperative older child	Removable	Brush the plate itself; check for cracks

A distal shoe deserves a word of its own. It is used when the tooth that would normally serve as an anchor has not yet come through the gum, so a short blade extends beneath the gum tissue to guide the erupting molar. Because it sits partly under the gum, dentists monitor it more closely and replace it with a simpler design once the permanent molar appears.

The lingual arch and Nance designs span the whole jaw, which means two band sites to brush instead of one, and a wire or acrylic button that collects food. The care principles are identical; the geography is just larger.

Removable plates put more responsibility on the child. They must be taken out for cleaning, kept away from pets, and worn as instructed, which is why they are more often chosen for older children.

Who usually gets a space maintainer, and who is asked to wait

The most common candidate is a child who has lost a baby molar early, often to decay that could not be treated with a filling or to an injury. Tooth decay remains one of the most common chronic conditions of childhood; the CDC reports that roughly 1 in 5 children aged 5 to 11 has at least one untreated decayed tooth. Premature extraction is a frequent result, and the space behind it needs protection.

Timing is the deciding factor. A space maintainer makes sense when the permanent tooth beneath the gap is still far from erupting. Dentists judge this from X-rays that show how much root the developing tooth has formed and how thick the bone above it is. If the permanent tooth is nearly ready, the dentist may simply watch, because the tooth will arrive before the neighbors have time to drift.

Children are also often asked to wait, or offered a different plan, when:

• the permanent tooth is expected within a short window, as suggested by X-ray findings;
• there is no permanent tooth developing beneath the gap, in which case the plan may involve letting the space close or holding it for a future replacement;
• the anchor tooth is too decayed to hold a band and needs treatment first;
• the child cannot yet tolerate an impression or a cementing visit, and the dentist prefers to reassess in a few months.

Front baby teeth are a special case. Losing a front tooth early is upsetting for parents, but the permanent front teeth are often not far behind, and the neighboring teeth drift less in that region. Many dentists do not recommend a maintainer for a single lost front tooth, though the decision is individual.

None of this is a fixed formula. The treating dentist weighs eruption timing, the health of the anchor tooth, and the child’s ability to keep the appliance clean, and the recommendation follows from that.

Space maintainer care basics: brushing around the band step by step

The band is where plaque wins or loses. Plaque is the soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day, and it settles most happily against edges and ledges. A metal band creates exactly that ledge along the gum line, so the brushing routine needs one deliberate change: slow down at the band.

The foundations do not change. The NHS advises brushing for about two minutes twice a day, last thing at night and at one other time, using a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride is a mineral that hardens enamel and helps reverse the earliest stage of decay. For children aged 3 to 6, the CDC recommends a pea-sized amount of toothpaste; younger children use a smear no bigger than a grain of rice, with an adult doing the brushing.

Around the appliance, a practical sequence looks like this:

• Angle the bristles toward the gum at about 45 degrees so they slide under the edge of the band rather than skating over the metal.
• Use short, gentle strokes, roughly the width of one tooth, for a count of ten on the cheek side and ten on the tongue side of the banded tooth.
• Brush the top of the banded tooth with a small circular motion, then trace along the wire where it meets the tooth in front.
• Finish the rest of the mouth as usual, and have the child spit but not rinse, so fluoride stays on the teeth longer, a point the NHS makes explicitly.

A soft-bristled brush with a small head reaches further back than an adult-sized one. Electric brushes are fine if the child tolerates them; hold the head still against the band for a few seconds instead of scrubbing.

Children under about 7 or 8 generally lack the dexterity to clean thoroughly on their own, and the NHS suggests adults supervise or help until at least that age. With an appliance in place, that help is worth extending. A parent’s fingertip on the brush for the last thirty seconds each night is the single highest-yield habit in space maintainer care.

Cleaning under the loop: floss, interdental brushes, and rinsing

The wire loop crosses the gap where a tooth used to be, and food lodges beneath it after almost every meal. A toothbrush cannot reach under a wire. Something thin has to go there instead.

Two tools do the job. Standard floss can be threaded under the loop using a floss threader, a stiff plastic loop that pulls the floss through like a needle pulling thread. The floss is then swept along the gum beneath the wire and out the other side. The second option, often easier for children, is a small interdental brush, a bristled tip about the size of a matchstick that slides under the loop and pulls debris out in one pass. Rinse the brush and repeat until it comes out clean.

Do this once a day, ideally at bedtime, after brushing. Nighttime matters because saliva flow drops during sleep, so anything left behind sits against the gum for eight hours with little washing.

A few points parents ask about:

• Bleeding on the first few passes is common if the gum under the loop is already slightly inflamed. It usually settles as cleaning improves. Persistent bleeding after a week or two of consistent cleaning is worth mentioning at the next visit.
• Water flossers, which spray a thin jet, can flush food from under the wire and are a reasonable supplement, though they do not replace mechanical cleaning against the band edge.
• Mouthwash is not a substitute for brushing, and the NHS advises against using it immediately after brushing because it washes away the toothpaste fluoride. If a dentist recommends a fluoride rinse for a child old enough to spit reliably, use it at a different time of day.

Swishing plain water after lunch at school, when brushing is impossible, clears loose debris from under the loop and costs nothing but a trip to the fountain.

What can you not eat with a space maintainer? Foods to avoid with a space maintainer

Food damages a space maintainer in two ways: by pulling on it and by bending it. Sticky foods grip the wire and lift, working against the cement with each chew. Hard foods deliver a sudden force that can distort the loop or crack the cement seal. The lists below follow from those two mechanisms rather than from any rule about specific brands.

Sticky and chewy foods to avoid:

• caramel, taffy, toffee, and chewy fruit snacks;
• chewing gum of any kind, including sugar-free;
• gummy candy and gummy vitamins;
• dried fruit such as raisins and fruit leather, which is both sticky and sugary;
• very chewy breads and bagels torn with the front teeth.

Hard and crunchy foods to avoid or modify:

• ice, whether chewed deliberately or from the bottom of a drink;
• hard candy, lollipops, and jawbreakers;
• popcorn, especially unpopped kernels;
• nuts and hard pretzels;
• whole raw carrots and apples bitten directly, which can be sliced thin instead.

The overlap with ordinary decay prevention is not a coincidence. The NIH’s dental institute explains that bacteria in plaque feed on sugars and produce acids that dissolve enamel, and the stickiest foods keep sugar against the teeth longest. Avoiding caramel protects the cement and the enamel at the same time.

Plenty of foods cause no trouble at all: soft fruits, cooked vegetables, pasta, rice, eggs, yogurt, cheese, soft meats, and bread torn into pieces. Cheese is a particularly friendly snack because it does not cling to metal and is low in sugar.

Sugary drinks deserve a separate mention. Sodas and sports drinks pool around the band edge, and the NHS advises limiting them to mealtimes if they are consumed at all. Water and plain milk between meals keep the environment around the appliance far less acidic.

Are space maintainers painful? What the first few days usually feel like

Placement itself does not involve drilling into the tooth, and most children describe pressure rather than pain when the band is seated and the cement sets. The appointment is usually short, and no numbing is typically needed unless a tooth is being extracted or crowned at the same visit.

The first day or two bring a different kind of discomfort: awareness. The tongue finds the wire constantly. Speech may sound slightly different for a day. Chewing feels awkward because the child instinctively avoids the new metal. Some children report mild soreness at the gum under the band, similar to the feeling of a new pair of shoes. This is the tissue adjusting to an edge it has not felt before.

What helps in those first days:

• soft, cool foods such as yogurt, applesauce, smoothies, and scrambled eggs;
• a soft toothbrush used gently but not skipped, since plaque left on an irritated gum makes soreness worse;
• a small amount of orthodontic wax pressed over a wire end if it rubs the cheek, something the dental office can supply and demonstrate;
• reassurance that the strange feeling fades quickly as the tongue and cheek adapt.

If a child seems to need pain relief, ask the dentist what is appropriate for that child’s age and weight rather than guessing. Pain that increases rather than fades, or that keeps a child from eating or sleeping, is not part of normal adjustment and is covered in the red-flag section below.

Most families find that by the end of the first week the appliance has become invisible to the child, in the way eyeglasses become invisible to someone who wears them. The one exception is a distal shoe, which sits partly under the gum and may cause a longer period of tenderness; the dentist will schedule earlier follow-up for that design.

The following weeks and months: what routine checks look for

A space maintainer is a set-and-monitor device, not set-and-forget. Dental visits continue on whatever schedule the dentist recommends, and the appliance is examined at each one. Knowing what the dentist is checking helps parents notice the same things at home.

At a typical follow-up, the dentist will:

• press on the band to confirm it is still firmly cemented and has not begun to rock;
• look at the gum along the band edge for redness, swelling, or bleeding, the signs of gingivitis, which is gum inflammation from plaque;
• check the wire loop for bends and confirm it still touches the tooth in front without pressing into the gum;
• look for signs of decay around the band margin, sometimes with an X-ray;
• assess whether the permanent tooth is beginning to erupt, which is the signal to plan removal.

Between visits, the appliance should feel the same every day. A parent glancing at it during evening brushing will notice change before a child mentions it. A band that suddenly has a visible dark line at its edge, a wire that sits higher or lower than before, or gum that has crept up and over the band are all worth a phone call.

Growth complicates things. A child’s jaw lengthens over the years an appliance is worn, and a wire loop that fit perfectly at age five may need adjusting or replacing at age seven. This is expected, not a failure of the original work.

Fluoride remains part of the picture throughout. The dentist may apply fluoride varnish at visits, and continuing fluoride toothpaste at home protects the enamel under and around the band, where a cavity would be especially awkward to treat. The CDC notes that fluoride varnish applied by a professional helps prevent decay in children, which is why it is commonly offered at routine visits regardless of the appliance.

How long do space maintainers stay in?

The honest answer is: until the permanent tooth arrives, and that depends entirely on which tooth was lost and how old the child was when it happened.

Baby teeth are shed on a fairly predictable timetable. Mayo Clinic describes the process beginning around age 6 with the front teeth and continuing to about age 12, when the last baby molars are typically lost. MedlinePlus notes that the first permanent molars generally appear around age 6, behind the baby teeth, and that permanent teeth continue erupting through the early teens. A child who loses a second baby molar at age 5 may need the space held for several years, while a child who loses the same tooth at age 10 may need it held only briefly.

The dentist does not rely on averages alone. Periodic X-rays show how much of the permanent tooth’s root has formed, and eruption tends to follow root development. That is a far better guide than a birthday.

Several things can shorten or lengthen the wear period:

• early eruption of the permanent tooth, which brings removal forward;
• a permanent tooth that is slow to develop or missing entirely, which may extend wear or change the plan;
• appliance breakage or loss, which may require a replacement and restarts the clock on adaptation;
• loss of the anchor tooth itself, which sometimes means a different design.

Removal is quick. The dentist breaks the cement seal, lifts the band off, and cleans any residual cement from the tooth. There is no need to wait for the appliance to fall off on its own, and it should not be left in place once the permanent tooth has begun to erupt, because a wire sitting in the path of a new tooth can deflect it.

Families sometimes ask whether the appliance can be removed early because it is a nuisance. That decision belongs to the treating dentist, who can see the X-ray evidence of whether the space still needs protecting.

Space maintainer fell out or feels loose: what to do

Loose or lost appliances are the most common problem parents face, and they are rarely emergencies. The right response is calm and quick rather than alarmed.

If the appliance has come out completely, find it if you can, rinse it, and put it in a small bag or container. Do not try to push it back onto the tooth; a poorly seated band can trap food against the enamel and cause more harm than an open space for a day or two. Contact the dental office and describe what happened. Many offices can re-cement an intact appliance, and having the original piece saves time.

If it feels loose but is still attached, the situation calls for slightly more caution. A band that rocks can slide off during sleep, and a small metal object in a young child’s mouth overnight is a swallowing or inhalation risk. Call the office the same day. Until the appointment, keep the child on soft foods, avoid the sticky and hard items listed earlier, and brush gently around it.

Signs that the appliance is loosening:

• the child says it clicks or moves when they press it with their tongue;
• a new gap appears between the band and the tooth surface;
• food packs under the band in a way it did not before;
• the wire loop sits at a different angle.

If a child has swallowed a piece of the appliance, this is usually harmless and passes without incident, but coughing, choking, wheezing, drooling, or difficulty breathing after the event needs emergency care because the piece may have been inhaled rather than swallowed.

Once the appliance is off, the neighboring teeth begin to drift within weeks. This is why the office visit should not wait for the next scheduled check-up. The dentist may re-cement the old appliance, make a new one, or, if X-rays show the permanent tooth is close, decide that the appliance is no longer needed at all.

Habits that quietly wreck an appliance: chewing, sports, and fidgeting

Food is not the only force acting on a space maintainer. Children put a remarkable variety of things in their mouths, and each one is a small test of the cement.

Pencils, pen caps, shirt collars, and fingernails are chewed absent-mindedly during homework, and the back teeth do the chewing. A child who bites a pencil on the side with the appliance applies exactly the kind of repeated lever force that loosens bands. Naming the habit without shaming it, and offering a substitute such as a fidget object for hands, works better than repeated reminders.

Thumb sucking and pacifier use, when they continue past the toddler years, can push against a wire loop and, over time, affect how the teeth align. The dentist may discuss this separately if it is relevant.

Tongue play with the wire is nearly universal in the first weeks and fades on its own. Persistent prodding or attempts to lift the loop with a fingernail are another matter and are worth a conversation.

Contact and ball sports raise the question of mouthguards. A blow to the face can bend the wire or knock the appliance off, and a mouthguard cushions both the appliance and the teeth around it. Because a stock guard may not fit well over a wire, ask the dentist whether a custom or boil-and-bite guard is appropriate; the office can advise on what fits around the specific design.

Two smaller points round this out. Removable appliances should never be wrapped in a napkin at a restaurant, where they are lost with startling regularity, and should be kept in a rigid case. And children who grind their teeth at night, which parents often hear from the next room, place extra strain on cemented bands; mention it at the next visit so the dentist can check for wear.

None of these habits guarantee failure. They simply tilt the odds, and most are easy to adjust once a family knows to look for them.

What people often get wrong about space maintainer care

Myths gather around any appliance a child wears for years. Here are the ones dentists hear most, and what the evidence actually supports.

The 3-3-3 rule is the gold standard. This popular saying, brushing three times a day, within three minutes of eating, for three minutes, is folk advice rather than guideline. The NHS recommends brushing for about two minutes twice a day, and specifically advises against brushing immediately after eating, because acids from food temporarily soften enamel and scrubbing right away can wear it. Waiting an hour is the NHS suggestion. Twice daily, done thoroughly around the band, beats three rushed sessions.

Once it is in, the dentist handles everything. The appliance is inspected at visits, but plaque forms daily and cement fails at home. Care between visits is what determines whether the appliance lasts.

Brushing harder cleans the band better. Hard scrubbing irritates the gum against the band and can wear enamel at the margin. Angle and time matter; force does not.

A loose appliance can wait for the next check-up. Teeth begin to drift within weeks once the space is unprotected, and a rocking band is a swallowing risk. Same-day or next-day contact is the right pace.

Baby teeth do not matter because they fall out anyway. Baby molars hold space for teeth that arrive years later, and MedlinePlus describes them as guiding the permanent teeth into position. The appliance exists precisely because they matter.

Sugar-free gum is fine. The problem with gum is stickiness, not sugar. Any gum can lift a wire loop.

The appliance will straighten the teeth. It holds a space; it does not move anything. Orthodontic treatment, if needed later, is a separate conversation.

Metal in the mouth causes cavities. The metal is inert. Plaque left against the band edge causes cavities, which is why space maintainer care focuses so heavily on that junction.

Questions to ask your care team

A short list of questions, asked at placement and revisited at check-ups, keeps everyone on the same page. Write down the answers; details are easy to forget once you are back in the parking lot.

• Which tooth was lost, and which permanent tooth is the appliance protecting space for?
• Roughly when do the X-rays suggest that permanent tooth will erupt, and how will you know it is time to remove the appliance?
• Which design is this, and does it have any parts I should watch particularly closely, such as an extension under the gum?
• Can you show me, on my child, exactly where to angle the brush and how to clean under the loop?
• Should we use a floss threader or an interdental brush, and what size?
• Is fluoride varnish part of the plan at visits, and is there anything different we should do with toothpaste at home?
• What is your office’s process if the appliance comes loose or falls out after hours?
• Does my child need a mouthguard for sports, and what kind fits over this appliance?
• How often should we come in while the appliance is in place, and what will you check at each visit?
• Are there signs at home that should prompt an earlier call rather than waiting for the next appointment?
• If the anchor tooth develops a cavity, what happens to the appliance?
• Will the appliance need to be adjusted or replaced as my child grows?

One more question is worth asking directly: what would happen if we did nothing? A good answer explains the drift risk for this particular tooth in this particular child, and helps you understand why the appliance was recommended rather than a watch-and-wait approach. The decision remains the dentist’s to recommend and yours to accept, but understanding the reasoning makes the daily care feel purposeful rather than arbitrary.

When to call your doctor

Most space maintainer problems are minor and are handled with a routine appointment. A few signs, though, mean the dental office should hear from you promptly, and a smaller set means emergency care.

Call the dental office the same day if:

• the appliance is loose, rocking, or has come out;
• the wire is bent, broken, or poking into the cheek, tongue, or gum in a way wax does not relieve;
• the gum around the band is swollen, bright red, or bleeding heavily rather than lightly during cleaning;
• your child complains of pain at the banded tooth that is increasing rather than settling after the first few days;
• you notice a bad taste or smell from the area that does not clear with cleaning, which can indicate trapped food or early infection;
• you can see the permanent tooth beginning to come through under or beside the wire;
• the anchor tooth looks dark, chipped, or has a visible hole at the band edge.

Seek urgent or emergency care, not a routine dental appointment, if:

• your child coughs, chokes, wheezes, or has trouble breathing after a piece of the appliance goes missing, which may mean it was inhaled;
• there is facial swelling that spreads toward the eye or under the jaw, or swelling accompanied by fever, which the NHS lists as reasons to seek urgent dental or medical help;
• your child cannot open their mouth fully or has difficulty swallowing;
• a blow to the face has knocked the appliance off and a tooth is loose, displaced, or knocked out.

Mild soreness in the first days, light bleeding when flossing under the loop begins, and a tongue that will not leave the wire alone are all expected and not reasons for concern. When in doubt, the office would rather hear from you than not. Describing what you see, ideally with a phone photo, lets the team decide whether the next step is reassurance, an adjustment, or a same-day visit. Every decision about the appliance, from re-cementing to removal, rests with the treating dentist who knows your child’s mouth and X-rays.

Frequently asked questions

What can you not eat with a space maintainer?

Avoid anything sticky or very hard. Sticky foods such as caramel, taffy, chewing gum, gummy candy, and dried fruit grip the wire and lift it against the cement. Hard foods such as ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, and nuts can bend the loop or crack the cement seal. Soft fruits, cooked vegetables, pasta, cheese, yogurt, and bread torn into pieces are all fine.

How long can you wear a space maintainer?

It stays in until the permanent tooth beneath the gap begins to erupt, which can be a few months or several years depending on the tooth and the child’s age. Mayo Clinic notes baby teeth are typically shed between about age 6 and 12, and the dentist uses X-rays of root development, not averages, to decide when removal is due.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for teeth?

The 3-3-3 rule is an informal saying: brush three times a day, within three minutes of eating, for three minutes. It is not a clinical guideline. The NHS advises brushing about two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and waiting about an hour after eating, because brushing softened enamel right after acidic food can wear it.

Are space maintainers painful?

Placement usually involves pressure rather than pain, and no drilling into the tooth is needed for a standard band. Mild gum soreness and a strong awareness of the wire are common for the first few days and fade as the mouth adapts. Pain that increases over time, or that stops a child eating or sleeping, is not normal and should be reported to the dentist.

Is space maintainer pain normal after a week?

Lingering tenderness after the first week is less typical and worth a call to the dental office. Possible causes include a wire pressing into the gum, food trapped under the loop causing inflammation, a loosening band, or, with a distal shoe design, tissue irritation beneath the gum. The dentist can check the fit and adjust it if needed.

What should I do if my child's space maintainer fell out?

Find and rinse the appliance if you can, keep it in a container, and contact the dental office the same or next day. Do not try to reseat it yourself. Teeth begin drifting within weeks once the space is unprotected, so this should not wait for a routine check-up. Seek emergency care only if your child coughs, chokes, or wheezes after a piece goes missing.

How do I brush around the band without hurting the gum?

Use a soft, small-headed brush and tilt the bristles toward the gum at roughly 45 degrees so they slip under the band edge. Make short, gentle strokes for a count of ten on each side of the banded tooth, then trace along the wire. Pressure irritates the gum and wears enamel at the margin; angle and time are what remove plaque.

Can my child floss with a space maintainer?

Yes, and it matters. Regular floss can be pulled under the wire loop with a floss threader, a stiff plastic loop that acts like a needle. Many children find a small interdental brush easier; it slides under the loop and drags debris out in one pass. Once a day at bedtime is the goal, since saliva flow drops overnight.

Does a space maintainer cause cavities?

The metal itself is inert and does not cause decay. Cavities near an appliance come from plaque that collects along the band edge and under the loop and is not removed. Twice-daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste, daily cleaning under the wire, limiting sugary drinks to mealtimes, and professional fluoride varnish at visits all lower that risk.

Can my child play sports with a space maintainer?

Generally yes. A blow to the face can bend the wire or knock the appliance loose, so ask the dentist about a mouthguard for contact or ball sports. A stock guard may not fit well over a wire, and the office can advise whether a boil-and-bite or custom guard suits the specific appliance design your child has.

References

• MedlinePlus: Dental care – child
• NHS: How to keep your teeth clean
• NHS: Taking care of children's teeth
• NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Tooth Decay

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.