Baby Dental Care

Your baby’s teeth may be small, but they’re certainly important. Baby teeth are placeholders for the upcoming adult teeth. Like a foundation, without healthy baby teeth and installing the habits of good dental care, the adult teeth will have problems. Likewise, without healthy teeth, your little one will later on have problems chewing and with speech development. Even at a young age, before your baby’s first teeth start to emerge, you can start your baby’s dental care. Unlike adult dental care, baby dental care does not employ a toothbrush and toothpaste. First, moisten a cotton washcloth or a section of gauze to soften it. Then, wipe down your baby’s gums twice daily, best after feeding and before bedtime. Most likely, you will need to experiment with different positions, until you discover one your baby is most comfortable in. After a bit of time, babies can find this gum massage relaxing. Some parents make a mistake of waiting too long, thinking they don’t need to treat the gums. However, the sooner you get in there, the easier tooth brushing becomes. If you wait until age two, then you’ll get a fight. Then, when your first baby’s teeth start to emerge, you can upgrade to a toothbrush. Be sure to pick a toothbrush with a very small head, soft bristles, and a large handle for you. At first, just wet the toothbrush and clean without any sort of agent. At age one, you can then place a small, pea-sized, amount of non-fluoridated toothpaste onto the head. A common mistake parent make here is overusing toothpaste, applying their adult sized portion. At age two, you can then use fluoridated toothpaste. Twice a day, put your child in your lap, and brush each little tooth in a small, circular motion. Lift the lip to reach the gum line, where plaque is most likely. Parenting tip: if your child resists, ask him to roar like a line. Your child will continue to need your assistance until old enough to hold the brush alone, which usually happens around age six. Your child should be able to brush, rinse, and spit, without your aid. Besides caring for your baby’s teeth, you also need to protect them from cavities. Ideally, this means feeding you baby with formulate, breast milk, or water. Likewise, avoid giving your child sugary fruit juice and soda. If you lay your baby to bed with a sippy cup, use water only. Also, do not apply any sweetener, such as syrup or sugar, to your baby’s pacifier. Helping your baby with this diligent dental family care, you’ll hear the great words, “Look Mom – no cavities!”

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