Taking Care of Teeth While They Begin To Grow

There are plenty of questions parents have about raising children, especially when it comes to their health and well being. We at Elevated Dental love taking care of children’s teeth and here are a few things you can do to make your child’s smile fantastic for many years.

Keep Teeth Clean Early On

While you may not be able to see them, babies actually start to form teeth in the second trimester of pregnancy. When your baby is born they have 20 primary teeth and some of them are fully developed in the jaw. This means that even when your child is only a few months old you should still follow these steps to keep their gums clean.

• Before your baby starts teething, run a clean, damp washcloth over the gums. This will clean away harmful bacteria, and will be soothing once tooth movement starts.
• Once your baby’s teeth become visible, use an infant toothbrush, with fluoride toothpaste that carries the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of acceptance. The toothpaste should be about the size of a grain of rice when applied to the brush.
• If and when your child’s teeth begin to touch, you should start to floss. This can be done with the same type of floss that you use.

Develop Good Habits

Both parents and children need to develop good oral hygiene habits. This includes not allowing babies to soothe themselves to sleep with a bottle, or breast milk. Often kids develop an attachment to their bottle at night, but it can do harm to children’s teeth if left unchecked. Also be sure to teach them early on in life to brush their teeth. Some children will need a little more motivation than others, but it’s an important step to provide them with good dental health.

• Make sure your baby does not go to bed with a bottle, or breastmilk in their mouth. The sugars in the juice or milk can develop tooth decay.
• Set specific times throughout the day for your child to suck on a bottle.
• Children six months and older are encouraged to begin transitioning from a bottle to a sippy cup.
• Around two years of age, children should learn to spit while brushing.

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