Wanna protect your baby’s future teeth?

I have talked about your own teeth during pregnancy already, but now it is time to talk about your newborn baby’s teeth.

You baby is born and you have everything in your life upside-down but still you have to concern some major issues about the baby’s future teeth.

Even when your baby is only a couple of months old, you should keep her gums healthy and clean. Gently wipe her gums with a wet, clean, soft cloth every day. The most important thing to remember is never to put your baby to bed with a bottle. Any kind of drink except water can cause a baby’s teeth to decay, even breast milk and infant formula. Other liquids that cause tooth decay are powdered fruit drinks, soda and juice. Any drink that contains sugar can cause tooth decay when your baby gets older. A two-month-old baby should drink only breast milk, formula or water.

Typically primary teeth will begin emerging from the gums at about 6 months of age. However, not every child is the same, so will begin teething as early as 2 months or as late as 1 year. Most of the kid experience pain when teething, there are actually a lot of symptoms to teething you will want to be aware of, such as: fussy, excessive drooling, loud crying, change in sleep habits, constant gnawing, loss of appetite, diarrhea, chin rash, and even ear aches. You can help by rubbing a cool washcloth on the gums or giving him cooled chew toys to help ease the pain. Be sure to give extra love and care during this traumatic time of his life.

These are some tips for you to follow in order to protect your baby’s future or present teeth:

  • Always hold your baby or keep your eyes on him/her during feedings. Do not prop up the bottle or leave your baby alone with the bottle in the bed.
  • If your baby needs a pacifier at bedtime, make sure it is clean and dry. NEVER EVER put the pacifier or bottle nipples in you own mouth (not even for a quick clean), because this would transfer the bacteria from your mouth to your baby’s mouth.
  • Do not dip the pacifier in honey or sweet liquids. Your baby might like the sweet taste, but these liquids will cause tooth decay when her teeth come in. Germs and spores in honey can also make a baby sick, that is why honey is not recommended under the age of 1.
  • Clean the nipples of your baby’s pacifiers and bottles by washing with soap and rinsing carefully and thoroughly with clean water. You could use a sterilizer in your microwave oven too.

How to clean your baby’s teeth?

Under the age of 6 babies, toddlers are too young to clean their own teeth, but what you can do is to start making their teeth cleaning a lifelong daily habit. Your baby learns most from watching you, so show him/her a good example by brushing your own teeth after every meal. Then clean your baby’s teeth by using a soft, wet, clean cloth to remove germs after every meal he eats. Start using toothpaste as soon as your baby gets his first tooth.

Make teeth cleaning a pleasant experience. That way your baby will want to try it on her own. In this case let him do it AFTER you have cleaned/brushed his teeth.

2 thoughts on “Wanna protect your baby’s future teeth?

  1. This is great and very informative. My son loves brushing his teeth and going to the dentist. I guest I always had a positive attitude towards it, so now he does too.

  2. what a great post. The most important thing to remember is never to put your baby to bed with a bottle. The starting ages for tooth brushing should be two or three. Children should be able to brush by themselves by about age five with some supervision.

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