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Working With A Great Dentist

Your Guide To Keeping Your Baby's Teeth Strong And Healthy

3 June 2015

Harper Hughes

When a tiny white tooth pops up in your baby's gummy grin, it is time to start implementing proper dental practices. Though they are temporary, a child's baby teeth are vital for learning how to chew and speak correctly. Starting proper dental habits from a young age helps your child maintain a fantastically healthy mouth.

Dental Visits

Your baby should visit a pediatric dentist once his or her first tooth breaks through the gums, as stated by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). If baby is slow to cut a tooth, a visit to the pediatric dentist should still be completed before he or she turns a year old.

After this first dental appointment, your child should have regular dental visits approximately every 6 months or as recommended by your child's dentist. Periodic visits are vital for detecting any tooth, gum, or mouth problems in their infancy. These early visits also help familiarize your child with dental examinations and cleanings from an early age.

Proper Cleaning

Before that first tooth appears, parents can use a wet washcloth to wash baby's mouth out each day. When teeth do appear, parents should brush their baby's teeth at least once a day using a toothbrush with soft bristles and tiny amount of toothpaste. Teeth should always be brushed before bedtime.

Flossing is not necessary until all of your child's baby teeth have come in. Once children have all of their teeth, the spacing between the teeth is reduced. Flossing is vital to prevent plaque accumulation in tight areas.

Healthy Habits

By offering your baby an assortment of nutritious foods, you are providing the required nutrients for strong, healthy teeth. To prevent tooth decay, limit your baby's consumption of sugary foods and beverages. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle that contains formula, milk, or breast milk.

When a baby is put to bed with a bottle, the fluid in the bottle pools around the baby's teeth and sits over night. This causes tooth decay that is known as baby bottletooth. If baby needs a bottle to fall asleep, water is a much better alternative that does not promote tooth decay.

Bottles should only be used for formula, breast milk, milk, or water. If baby is offered juice, the juice should be offered sparingly in a sippy cup.

The appearance of that first tooth is a significant milestone for babies and parents. You can keep little teeth looking and feeling their best by properly caring for the teeth as soon as they appear. An early dental regimen for your baby's teeth sets a firm foundation for excellent dental health as an adult. For more information on your child's dental health, contact a company like Children's Dental Center Of Central Iowa PLC.

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