February is national Children's Dental Health month. Yes... I know -- there's a month for everything! But this is an important call to awareness.

Simply put: we need our teeth. Granted, there have been a lot of cosmetic advances to help when we lose our permanent teeth but the real thing is still head-and-shoulders the best.

Caring for our teeth should begin when we're babies. It's recommended that you wash your baby's gums with a wet washcloth even before the first tooth appears!

In fact, there's a syndrome called baby bottle caries that's an epidemic in some of our communities. It happens when you put a child to sleep with a bottle or "sippy cup" in his or her mouth. And it doesn't matter what you have in that bottle. Whether it's milk or juice, it will rot your child's teeth.

I have two children and my husband happens to be a dentist. But I can tell you from experience, having a dad who's also a dentist doesn't mean a child is immune to cavities! In fact, 20 percent of kids will have a cavity before age five. Fifty to 70seventy percent will have at least one cavity in grade school. It's a small part of what keeps my husband in business so I asked him to be my "expert" on this.

When should that first dentist visit happen? Dr. John Drahota says he likes to see them at age three.

"Most three-year-olds are able to sit for an exam and perhaps get their teeth cleaned. But that first visit can also be just a time for the child to meet the dentist and become familiar with the surroundings."

If a child or parent is really apprehensive, consult a pediatric dentist.

What can a parent do to help prevent cavities in their children?

"Supervise your child's brushing and flossing until they're at least six-years-old. Set an example yourself by caring about your own dental health."

A reminder for older kids now and then that we only get one set of permanent teeth. That's it. For life!

Brushing and flossing. A simple way to help keep our teeth for a lifetime. And that's, nothin' but the tooth!