Five Simple Tips for Maintaining Your Baby’s Dental Hygiene

Keeping your baby’s teeth clean is a major part in maintaining their overall well being. It’s never too early to start good oral hygiene practices, even before the little pearls pop through. Here are some good tips on keeping that smile strong and healthy.

1) Gum Care
Even before your little one gets his first tooth, aim to wipe their gums down with a damp washcloth at least once a day. This helps them get used to the idea of having you clean their mouth from an early age.

2) Baby Toothbrush
When he or she does get the first tooth, start brushing with a baby-sized toothbrush. You can find them at your local store in the baby aisle. It’s best to brush once or twice per day, ideally before they go to bed.

3) No Juice in Bottle
Avoid giving juice or any other sugar drink in a bottle. Have you ever seen a kid without his front top or bottom teeth? It’s very common where I live, unfortunately, and we call it bottle mouth syndrome. It’s caused by severe tooth decay from frequent and extended bottle sucking, particularly if they’re drinking juice. Try and ditch the bottle by their first birthday.

4) No Sleeping with Bottles
Even if your child is drinking milk or formula, never set them in their crib to go to sleep with a bottle. Excess liquid could pool up in their mouths while the drift off into slumberland causing their teeth to drown in old milk. They can develop caries and eventually rot, especially since you’re obviously not brushing them right before bed either.

5) Toothpaste
You should only brush your baby or toddler’s teeth with water or toothpaste without fluoride before the age of two because young children have the tendency to swallow toothpaste, putting them at risk for fluoride toxicity.

There’s nothing worse than seeing a tot with rotted-out teeth. Practicing and modeling good oral hygiene with your youngster can be crucial for how they care for their own teeth when they are older.