Dental Tips for Baby Teeth

Just when should parents start an oral hygiene program for their newborn? There are a lot of schools of thought on this, but most dentists would agree the time to start is before the child’s first teeth even arrive. That being said, we put some basic tips together to help you ensure your baby’s teeth are perfect from day one!

Start Early

As we hinted above, oral hygiene starts right away. Before your baby’s teeth ever come in, you can start his or her regimen by making sure the gums are clean after every feeding. The easiest way to do this is by using a warm washcloth or wrapping gauze around the tip of your finger, dampening it with warm water, then wiping the gums clean.

You will also want to make sure your baby is getting the proper fluoride intake so their teeth are getting the proper nutrients as they are developing. For the best and safest results, discuss this with your pediatrician. It would also be a good idea to test your tap water to see exactly how much fluoride is in your drinking water.

When Teeth Come In

Far too many people neglect to take care of baby teeth because they are going to eventually fall out. Big mistake. These teeth serve as placeholders in more ways than one. Not taking care of them can promote gum disease, which could impact how the child’s permanent teeth come in.

Preventing Cavities

Just as you would do with permanent teeth, you want to avoid cavities from forming in the child’s baby teeth. One of the biggest culprits of this is sending the baby to bed with juice, formula, or milk. Some parents will also leave the bottle with the baby during the day for longer periods. Limit the nighttime drink to water and keep the bottle with the child only during feeding times.

By the time the child turns two, most of, if not all of the baby teeth with have grown in. When this happens, you can start to use a small amount of toothpaste when brushing his or her teeth. You will only need a dollop the size of a grain of rice to get the job done. In addition, now is the time to get the child into the habit of brushing twice a day.

Did you know the American Dental Association recommends a child’s first dental appointment be at the age of 1 (when the first teeth start to appear)? If you have a child or have one on the way, you can save significant money off your family’s dental bills with our NH family discount dental plan. For more information about our family plan as well as our plans for individuals and business owners, click here.