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Baby Hygiene

Dental care for babiesThe importance of oral health from birth  Most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth by age three. Infant and children's oral health Dental care for baby teeth can start before your baby's first tooth appears. Once your baby is about three months old, you can gently wipe your baby's gums using a damp, clean washcloth or gauze twice a day. This helps your baby get ready for brushing. As soon as teeth appear, decay can develop. A baby's front four teeth usually push through the gums at about six months, although some children don't have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. Birth to six months of age: •    Always clean your infant's gums after feeding. •    Wrap a moistened washcloth around the index finger of your free hand and gently massage the gum tissues. •    In cases of teeth which usually begins between four and six months of age, his gums may be red and swollen and saliva flow may increase. To ease the symptoms, give your infant a clean teething ring or a cold wet washcloth. The cold is soothing, so you may want to cool the teething ring. •    Dental decay is an infectious transmissible disease. Avoid testing the temperature of the bottle with your mouth, sharing utensils like spoons, or cleaning a pacifier or a bottle nipple by putting it in your mouth. You don't want to transmit bacteria! 6 to 12 months of age: •    Between six to eight months, your baby will get his first tooth. •    Clean your infant's gums after feeding. Once a tooth comes in, start with a child soft-bristled toothbrush, with no toothpaste. Also, massage the gum tissues. •    Begin to wean your baby from the bottle as your infant begins to eat more solid foods and drinks from a cup. Gradually begin to offer a cup for water or juice. •    Schedule your child's first dental appointment. Your child should have an exam by a dentist before their first birthday or within six months after the first tooth comes in. •    By 12 to 14 months, most children can drink from a cup. Promote healthy habits by limiting the frequency and number of sweetened beverages and foods. •    Regularly lift your child's lips to check for suspicious small white or brown spots on their teeth. If you see these spots, which may indicate dental decay, schedule an appointment with your dentist. 12 to 18 months of age: •    Continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with plain water. •    Continue to take steps to avoid passing decay-causing germs to your child. 18 months to age five: •    At age two, begin to brush your child’s teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Teach your child how to brush and spit out the toothpaste. Make sure your child doesn't swallow the paste. •    By two years and six months of age, all the primary teeth should have come in. By age three, most toddlers should have stopped using the dummy and/or sucking their thumb. •    Continue to regularly lift your child's lip to check for suspicious small white or brown spots on their teeth and go for regular check-ups. •    Talk to your dentist if your child is over age three and regularly sucks a dummy, fingers or thumb.

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