Regular check-ups

Regular checkups with your doctor, dentist, and optometrist are important to your child's good health.

Medical

Set up a schedule with your doctor or pediatrician, who will want to see your healthy child regularly in their first year and then at least once a year as they get older.

Dental health

The best way to help your child develop healthy dental practices is to set a good example.

Help your children by:

• limiting snacks high in sugar
• cleaning their teeth at least twice a day
• supervising their brushing until they are 8 years old
• visiting your dentist regularly — first visit by age 1 and a full check-up by age 2 to 3

Teeth and fluoride

Fluoridated tap water is strictly regulated and provides extra protection against tooth decay. Fluoridated toothpaste also reduces the risk of cavities, but it has 1,500 times more fluoride than fluoridated water. Children under 4 years old often swallow 40 percent of their toothpaste, so it's important to use just a bit and teach them to spit it out. Always supervise their brushing.

Alberta Child Health Benefit Plan

If finances are a problem, you may be eligible for the Alberta Child Health Benefit Plan. This is a premium-free health benefit plan that provides dental, optical, emergency ambulance, essential diabetic supplies, and prescription-drug coverage for children in low-income families.

For more information regarding the Alberta Child Health Benefit Plan, call 310-0000 or visit http://employment.alberta.ca/FCH/2076.html

Vision

Your child's first eye examination should be at 6 months, again at 3 years old and yearly from the age of 5 years. If you are concerned about your child's vision, or think they have an eye infection, don't wait. Contact your optometrist right away so treatment can begin as soon as possible. In Alberta, children's eye examinations are fully paid for until 18 years old by the provincial government. No referral is needed to visit an optometrist, so parents can book appointments.

The Alberta Child Health Benefit (see above) can assist some families in buying eyeglasses.