dental care for babies

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, parents should take their babies to the pediatric dentist as soon as the baby’s first tooth erupts. Mouth cleaning should begin at birth and be more frequent once the teeth have appeared. Participating in early dental care and dental cleaning will help protect children’s teeth.

A baby’s gums can be cleaned with a soft, water-dampened cloth or a soft-bristled baby toothbrush. Once the baby’s teeth grow, brushing should be done twice a day with an appropriately sized soft toothbrush and a fluoride-containing toothpaste. If the child is less than two years old, only a small amount of toothpaste should be used. A pea-sized drop of toothpaste should be used with children ages two to five.

Since very young children often do not have the necessary motor skills to brush their teeth correctly, parents must supervise the process. This supervision may be necessary until the child is approximately six years old. Parents can make the toothbrushing process a fun game by using colored dental rinses that highlight areas the child missed while brushing.

Dental problems such as baby bottle tooth decay can occur very early and once a baby stops nursing, any visible teeth are at risk for cavities. This is one of the reasons why it is important to start dental visits at a very young age. Parents should make a regular inspection of the baby’s or toddler’s mouth to make sure nothing seems unusual.

Proper dental care for babies includes cleaning the gums from birth, brushing the teeth as soon as they start to show, and starting regular dental visits as soon as the baby extracts the first tooth. Parents will need to help young children with tooth brushing until young children can do it properly on their own. If adults are vigilant about proper dental care for infants and children, there are likely to be fewer dental problems in later years.