Properly Caring For Baby Teeth

You want to do all you can to ensure your baby is going to develop healthy teeth, but you may not know exactly how to go about it. Once their teeth come in, you know they need to be brushed, and once your child is old enough, you know to get them child approved mouth wash. However, you may not know that you should start caring for your baby's teeth before they even come in. This article will educate you on the steps you should take from the beginning to help your baby develop the healthiest teeth possible. This article is full of advice on how you should care for your baby's teeth, before you even see the teeth.

Watch what you feed them

When your baby starts to drink juice, you want to keep in mind that it has a lot of sugar in it. This is why you want to be sure you aren't giving your child too much. If you decide to give them juice, consider diluting it with some water. Avoid giving your baby juice before bed since this will allow the sugar to sit in their mouth for hours. Even if you clean their mouth, some sugar may still be left behind to do damage.

Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle

It may seem easier to get your baby to go to sleep if you let them have a bottle in their crib. However, this will allow the fluid to stay directly on their gums for an extended period of time, where it can affect their developing teeth. A baby having a bottle in the crib can also be a choking hazard and can lead to ear infections.

Clean your baby's mouth

You should clean your baby's gums after they drink or eat, and before you lay them down in their bed. You can clean their gums by taking a piece of gauze and adding a small amount of water to it. Wrap the gauze around your finger and gently rub your child's gums.

Once your baby starts showing teeth, you can use a small toothbrush and a drop of baby toothpaste to brush the tooth, and continue with the gauze for the rest of their gums.

By taking care of your baby's gums, you will be helping to keep the teeth developing beneath the gums as healthy as possible. Once those teeth start coming in, you should consider getting your child to the dentist to the first time to make sure everything is looking good.

Contact a dental office like Village Family Dental for more information.