Look at me, I'm cavity free

As a guide, Catherine recommends that parents brush their children's teeth until they can do joined up handwriting. 'Of course let them do some brushing as well but parents should do most of it, ensuring each tooth is brushed to get rid of the plaque. Make the experience fun, sing songs, start a reward chart and remember to praise and praise when they are finished.' Catherine says a little whining and a few tears now and then are worth putting up with, when faced with the alternative pain and discomfort for a child with tooth decay. Never reward a good week's brushing with sweets. I'll never forget the look of horror and confusion when our five-year-old saw his great-granny's dentures on the table. 'That's because I ate too many sweets,' she warned him, and it's a lesson he doesn't seem to have forgotten - just yet. Sweets are long associated with rotting teeth but, interestingly, Catherine says it's not always the amount of sweet things a child eats but actually how often and how long they are eating them for. A child sucking on a lollipop for half an hour is more harmful to teeth than eating a packet of sweets in ten minutes. As a mother of two young children Catherine knows that having a sweet-free home is impossible. 'We can't cut out treats completely but we must be as vigilant as possible. If they have had chocolate, give them a drink of water or a piece of cheese to neutralise the acid. If they are having a fizzy drink, use a straw. For older children, chewing gum can be good but make sure they are taught how to dispose of it properly.' Keep snacks between meals as healthy as possible and avoid foods like crisps and even raisins on their own, which can stick to the teeth and attack plaque. Some adults shudder at the notion of going to the dentist and it's usually a fear that began with a bad experience when they were young. Catherine urges parents to bring children to the dentist at an early age so that it can be a positive and fun experience. 'We'd recommend that by two years of age children should visit twice or at least once a year. 'The first visit should be fun. They get to see the tools and different toothbrushes, sit in the chair. We never use words like needle or injections, we have magic potions and whizzy brushes. We also hand out first-visit certs and stickers.' Catherine firmly believes that the current dental screening programmes in schools should be done at a younger age. Most children aren't examined in primary school until second class and Catherine and John have seen children four years old with decayed baby molars, molars that have been present since the child was two-and-a-half. There just aren't enough staff, feels Catherine, who has huge respect and admiration for those working in the public dental service. 'The service is very curtailed. Budget constraints are having a huge impact. People are working very hard but they just don't have the resources,' she adds. Catherine and John have worked in a number of other countries and counties and have noticed that dental health among children in the West of Ireland is particularly bad. 'It's not as good because the system is under serviced. We've had lots of children coming in with dental problems. Tooth decay is a big issue at the moment but it is preventable,' adds Catherine. Remember the most important thing you can do is to set a good example. If you don't brush twice a day and take care of your teeth, then it's unlikely that your children will either. Three core messages â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Clean teeth thoroughly at least twice a day. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Reduce the frequency of intake of sugary foods and drinks. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Visit the dentist twice a year. Tooth tips â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   If a child doesn't want the parent to brush their teeth, let them do it alone for a week and then use a plaque search tablet, which will dramatically show in purple and pink all of the plaque the child can't brush away by themselves. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Introduce a drinking cup for babies from six months and never give juices in a bottle. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   It's quality brushing not quantity. Ensure each tooth is brushed correctly. Your dentist will happily show you how to do it correctly. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Start a star reward chart for morning and bedtime brushing. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Keep a good morning and evening brushing routine. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Keep sugary snacks to a minimum. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Ask your dentist about using sealants in a school-age child. This provides a barrier against plaque and other harmful substances and can be applied to the first and second permanent molars as soon as they erupt. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Make sure your children wear appropriate mouth guards when playing sport. Tooth-friendly foods â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Cheese. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Milk. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Crackers. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Hummus. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Seeds. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Nuts, especially peanuts. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Apple wedges. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Carrot sticks. HSE dental services in Galway The HSE provides dental services to children under six and children attending primary school, to medical card holders and to EU residents for emergency treatment. What services are available for children? Pre-school children attending primary schools can be referred for dental treatment from a child health service or following a routine school visit. Children attending primary school are screened in 2nd, 4th and 6th class and are referred for treatment, if necessary, to the local dental clinic. Emergency services are also available to all school-going children. If a parent has a concern about their child's teeth, they can phone their local dental clinic to arrange an appointment, even without a referral. What if my child needs braces? Some children, where necessary, are referred onto their Orthodontic Clinic for further treatment; this referral is from the Principal Dental Surgeon in the health centre and orthodontic treatment is free. Information â€Â¢Visit the Irish Dental Association's website at www.dentist.ie. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Information is available also on the British Dental Health Foundation's website www.dentalhealth.org.uk. â€Â¢Ã‚ Â   Reward charts, information and diet diaries are available from Abbeytrinity Dental Practice at www.abbeytrinitydental.ie.