According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, teeth were the #1 feature that increased a child’s chances of being bullied. A person’s smile and teeth are often the first things people notice, and kids are no exception. Rice & Associates would like to share some ideas that can help kids feel better about their teeth—with parents’ help!

• Explain that baby teeth are not all lost until kids reach their early teens, so their smile will continue to change as they grow—and this will be happening to the kids making fun, too.

• Google “celebrity teeth before and after” for hundreds of examples showing successful grownups who were once kids that probably didn’t feel so great about their teeth. This reinforces that things will eventually get better.