Good work teaching your daughter to brush and floss every day! Brushing and flossing at least two times per day and at least two minutes with each brushing are important ways to prevent cavities.

It is fine to give your daughter a multivitamin. She should not need "additional vitamin D" beyond the vitamin. It would be very rare for a healthy child like your daughter to have vitamin D deficiency.

A multivitamin not only has vitamin D and fluoride, but other important minerals for keeping teeth healthy. Plus, our bodies use sunshine to make vitamin D. There are also vitamins and minerals in the foods we eat.

Healthy foods can help keep teeth healthy. Take a look at what your 9-year-old is eating. See if the two of you could make her diet, and your diet, healthier.

Here are some tips:

• Avoid soda, fruit juice, lemonade, and other sweet drinks.
• Avoid candy and other sugary foods, especially between meals. If you are always snacking on sugary foods, your teeth are always under attack. Sugar feeds bacteria in the mouth that make acid. This can slowly wear away teeth and make cavities.
• Brush your teeth after each meal for added protection.
• Drink milk. It is a source of calcium and added vitamin D.
• Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are important for general health.

And don't forget to schedule regular appointments with your daughter's dentist. Talk with the dentist about what you should do in between visits to help your daughter have healthy teeth.