Now that your little one’s teeth are on their way out, it’s now the perfect time to start taking good care of them. A baby first primary tooth usually starts to grow at about 6 months of age. However, this can happen a bit early or can delay for as late as the child’s first birthday. Even though this pair will only last for a short time, it’s essential to provide proper care for them because of the baby’s gum and future permanent teeth. Here are some simple, practical tips on how to provide your baby’s new teeth with proper care.
- Start Even before Baby’s Teeth Start to Grow
Even before you spot the first tooth on your child, it’s always a good idea to start getting into the habit of wiping his or her gums. Use some warm water and a damped piece of gauze wrapped around your finger or wet washcloth to wipe the gum off after feeding. At this point, you don’t need to use any toothpaste yet. This practice is essential so as to prevent any bacterial infections when the teeth begin to emerge.
- Take Care of Them Immediately
Once you spot the first teeth coming in, start taking care of them immediately. A majority of parents think that baby teeth are not important since they will eventually be replaced with permanent ones. This may be true, but these initial teeth are the ones that preserve spacing for the permanent teeth and also helps the baby to talk and chew. If proper care is not provided to them, they can decay, leading to a gum infection known as gingivitis. This can affect the spacing of the permanent teeth.
- Avoid Cavities
The early signs of cavities in baby teeth are minor pitting and discolouration. The habit where parents put their babies to bed with a bottle of milk or even worse juice is very well known for causing cavities. Avoid the habit of leaving your child with a bottle of milk in his mouth especially if you notice that he or she is no longer feeding and just using the bottle for comfort.
- Follow Meals with Water
The food that baby’s feed on can easily be washed off the teeth with just a drink of water after feeding. You probably won’t have the need of introducing your baby to a toothbrush until he is feeding on table food. However, it’s important to introduce him or her to a toothbrush as soon as possible.
- Brush
As mentioned above, introduce your baby to brushing as soon as possible. Use a smooth bristle brush gently inside and outside of each of every of your baby’s teeth. If he or she will let you brush his/her tongue also so as to dislodge bacteria that can bring about bad breath. Use only little amount of fluoride toothpaste to avoid your baby too much fluoride.
Bottom Line: Visit a Dentist
Immediately you see that first tooth on your baby, schedule an appointment with your dentist so as to maintain a successful dental plan. For a caring and dedicated team of child-friendly dentists, visit Carrum Downs Dental Clinic. We will provide you with a positive experience for your baby’s first dentist visit. At Carrum Downs Dental Clinic located near Skye, Sandhurst and Patterson Lakes we have years of experience dealing with babies dental hygiene. We will provide you with all the necessary information you might need so as to maintain maximum dental health for your baby.