Many new parents, grandparents and other caregivers are keen to know how they can care for their baby’s mouth when a tooth first begins to emerge.
After feeding (both bottle or breastfeeding), take a clean, damp washcloth, a gauze pad, or a baby finger brush available at most pharmacies and on Amazon, to gently clean the baby’s tooth and gums. Use a baby toothbrush with a smear (size of a grain of rice) of toothpaste to brush your child’s teeth in the morning and before bedtime. We recommend holding off on using fluoridated toothpaste until age 2 when the toddler is less likely to swallow the toothpaste
It is very important to not have a baby go to sleep with a bottle with juice or formula overnight or drink from a sippy cup all day. Water is a better option in preventing cavities in the baby teeth.
Also, clean the teeth along the gumline to ensure there is no plaque left behind.
Healthy baby teeth help your child eat well, aid in future proper speech development and hold the proper spacing for future permanent teeth.
– Contributed by Jennifer, one of your CDAs at Atlantis Dental Roundhousev