Oral care for infants - What is really necessary?

Everyone knows the need and importance of dental care for children and adults. Now, what about baby teeth? Teeth and gum care should start even before the eruption of the first baby tooth. It is essential to care for the child's dental (oral) health from birth itself. Practicing healthy oral care habits and keeping baby teeth clean and healthy is important because baby teeth hold spaces open for the permanent teeth to come in. Follow these guidelines to help your child start their journey to a lifetime of healthy smiles!

• Caring for Gums

It is important to care for your baby's gums even before their first tooth appears. Clean their gums with a clean, moist washcloth after breast- or bottle-feeding, and gently rub it across your baby's gum tissue. This practice not only clears your little one's mouth of any food fragments but also begins the process of building good daily oral care habits.

• Baby's First Tooth

When your baby's first tooth makes an appearance, it's time to upgrade to a baby toothbrush with soft bristles. It is not needed to use toothpaste at this age. Dip the brush in water and brush the little pearly whites. During the teething process, your child will want to chew on everything around them, and a baby toothbrush with a teether will be their favorite toy during this stage.

• Brushing with Toothpaste

With the eruption of few more teeth, you can start using toothpaste for the babies. But be sure to choose toothpaste that does not contain fluoride for the first two years. Use only a tiny amount of toothpaste and train your child to spit the toothpaste out after brushing.  

• Avoiding Cavities

It is recommended not to give your baby any sweetened liquids and soda. Remember to clean the teeth and gums regularly, as even the sugars present in fruit juice, formula, and breast milk can cause tooth decay. Also, do not let your baby go to bed with a bottle as sugary liquids in prolonged contact with teeth can cause early-childhood decay, also called baby-bottle caries.

• First Visit to the Dentist

The American Dental Association recommends having the baby's first dental visit within six months of the first tooth's eruption, i.e., around their first birthday. The earlier the baby's visit is, the lesser is the chance of developing tooth decay. We will ensure that your baby's visits to our dental office are fun and will help develop a positive attitude towards dental procedures once they grow up. During the baby's pediatric dental visits, we will evaluate their mouth and look for any signs of early problems with oral health. We will also clean their teeth, polish them with fluoride if necessary and check the likelihood of dental problems development. Besides, we will demonstrate correct brushing and flossing techniques if needed and will help you with the best way to care for your baby's teeth. We believe that every child is unique. Hence, we create customized dental care plans for every little patient to ensure proper individual dental treatment.

• Pediatric Restorative Dentistry

If we detect cavities on the baby teeth, we will remove the decay and restore the teeth as much as possible. We use white fillings to treat caries, but if the condition is severe and can't be treated with fillings, we might apply pediatric nerve treatment and dental crowns. 

If you have questions or concerns about how to care for your child's teeth, please call us and schedule an appointment with us.