Health Tip: Save Your Kids' Smiles

(HealthDayNews) -- Your kids probably sample holiday cookies and candy frequently, so make sure they brush their teeth.

Dental decay is one of the most common chronic infectious diseases among kids in America, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

By age 17, dental decay affects 78 percent of children, the CDC adds.

Children -- and their parents -- can fight decay by brushing, flossing and using fluoride mouth rinses after meals.