Never too early to start dental health with your baby
Date :
Tuesday, February 16 2010
Source:
Autourina Mains
Your baby’s teeth began developing while in utero at about 6-8 weeks into the pregnancy. What the expecting mom eats and her dental health affects her baby’s developing teeth. Minor deficiencies in diet and dental health can affect the baby’s teeth formation. So it is absolutely vital for the expecting mom to continue receiving care from her dentist throughout her pregnancy and eat well balanced meals. Always inform your dentist of your pregnancy.
It is never too early to begin proper dental hygiene with your baby. The most important first step is to never let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in his mouth. Some parents may put the baby to bed with a bottle of juice, or formula and that can lead to tooth decay. As a matter of fact some dentists recommend not offering your baby juice in a bottle. You can offer your baby a bottle of milk or water before bed and wipe his gum with a clean damp cloth or gauze pad before she goes to bed.
Brushing can begin as soon as those first teeth break through the gum. Using a clean damp gauze pad, wash cloth or throw away finger brush, wipe your baby’s pearly whites and his tongue after meals and at bedtime. You can use a very small amount of infant toothpaste for flavor. Be sure to replace finger tooth brushes every 2 months.
Keep in mind that keeping baby teeth healthy has the following benefits:
- Healthy baby teeth leads to healthy permanent teeth
- Healthy baby teeth are crucial in helping baby learn how to speak properly
- Healthy baby teeth help maintain proper spacing for the permanent teeth
- Healthy baby teeth are vital for proper nutrition
Offering the baby proper nutrition is also important in keeping the baby’s teeth healthy. Make sure your baby is getting enough calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, and other minerals and vitamins; especially vitamin C, which is pertinent for healthy gums. Offering the baby a regular drinking cup as soon as she can drink from a cup is also best practice, because both bottle and sippy cups can make the liquid pool in the mouth which increases the risk of tooth decay.
It is a good idea to take your baby to his first dentist visit between the first and second birthday. Finding a pediatric dentist is important but at times that can be difficult in rural communities.