February is a time to reinforce good teeth-cleaning habits with kids as it is National Children’s Dental Health month. By the age of one-year-old, children should have regular dental visits, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Also, children should brush their teeth twice each day and use fluoridated water to prevent cavities from forming. Children who have poor dental health and painful cavities may lose focus while learning at school or have difficulty eating food to help them grow.

Iowa’s I-Smile dental program helps children connect with dental services. In 2015, according to Iowa Medicaid paid claims data, 71 percent more Medicaid-enrolled children received dental care than in 2005 with 160 more dentists billing Medicaid for care provided.