5 Quick Tips For Baby Dental Care
A lifetime of good oral health requires early attention to oral care that should start right after birth. Babies are at higher risk of dental infections because of their weak immunity. They need proper dental and general health care, or they will fall sick. That is why taking care of your baby’s dental health is essential as a parent. The good news is, there are ways in which you can keep your baby’s dental health at the optimum.
Babies are delicate, and they require the best care. Here are some valuable tips on how to care for your baby’s dental health.
Start Giving Your Baby Oral Care Before The First Baby Tooth Erupts:
Most parents may not know this, but your baby’s gums are essential to their first baby tooth eruption. Before your baby starts to grow their first baby tooth, you need to prepare their gums and mouth for the first baby tooth. Unhealthy gums can cause problems with healthy teeth growth.
Furthermore, good dental cleaning can prevent your child from having a foul mouth odor as they grow.
You don’t need to use a toothbrush at this stage. All you need is a clean, soft washcloth with clean lukewarm water that you can use to clean your baby’s gums. If you don’t want to use a washcloth, you can get a toothbrush for babies. This particular type of toothbrush doesn’t have bristles. Instead, it comes with a rubber. You can fit the rubber into your finger and then use it to rub your baby’s gums.
Note that your baby’s oral health is essential for you too. As a breastfeeding mother, if your child develops an oral infection, you can also get affected.
Take Your Baby To A Pediatric Dentist As Soon As The First Baby Tooth Erupts:
Dental examinations and other forms of dental care for toddlers in Marque, TX, are essential and should start early in life. At South Star Dental, we often advise mothers to bring in their babies for dental appointments as early as possible, usually after their first baby tooth eruption. Early dental examinations can help the dentist and parents track their baby’s dental health status and teeth growth. In case the child has problems with teeth growth, the dentist can quickly provide solutions.
Avoid Letting Your Baby Sleep With Baby Bottles:
When feeding your child with a feeding bottle, make sure you remove it after they’ve fallen asleep or when you are done feeding them. It is unhygienic to leave a feeding bottle in a baby’s mouth and allow them to sleep with it inside the mouth. When you do that, you increase your baby’s chances of getting a dental infection. This is because their teeth would get too exposed to the milk inside the bottle, causing tooth decay or plaque later.
Also, babies shouldn’t be allowed to suck their thumbs as this could cause teeth misalignment and other biting issues. If you need more advice on caring for your baby’s teeth, you can visit a pediatric dentist in La Marque, TX.
Feed Your Babies With Healthy Drinks And Foods:
Unhealthy foods can cause various problems to your baby’s dental health. Good nutrition can strengthen your baby’s teeth and prevent them from getting affected by teeth decay. Give them foods rich in Vitamin D and calcium like pasteurized milk, yogurt, and cheese for healthy teeth growth.
Parents Should Practice Good Dental Health Themselves:
Children often copy habits that they’ve seen. As a parent, you can reach your children to practice good dental health care, and they can learn this by watching you. When you take good care of your oral health, you can encourage your kids to do the same.
Also, mothers can pass bacteria to newborn babies. Therefore, ensure that you are taking care of your dental health as well as your baby’s. Visit or schedule an appointment with our dentist near you for dental advice and dental examinations for you and your children.