tooth decay    diet    visiting the dentist    refuses to brush

when to start cleaning babies teeth

A healthy mouth for your baby.

People usually think of a newborn baby as having no teeth, however, at birth all of the 20 primary teeth are developing within the baby's jawbones. Then somewhere around the age of six months, the baby's first tooth will appear. By age three, your child will probably have most of the 20 primary teeth. These "baby" teeth are important. They not only help the child chew and speak properly, but they also act as the foundation for properly positioned permanent teeth.

Baby teeth should be cared for in the same manner as permanent teeth. Begin brushing your child's teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush as soon as they erupt into the mouth. Never use more than a small amount of fluoride toothpaste—about the size of a pea

Tooth Decay

Get into the habit of never putting anything other than milk or water into baby's bottles.Tooth Decay can occur as soon as the teeth erupt into the mouth. A serious form of decay that can occur is baby bottle tooth decay. This will occur if a baby is allowed to continuously suck on a bottle of milk, fruit juice or sugar water during naps or at night. If you must give a bottle at bedtime as a comforter, make sure it contains only water.

Diet and Teeth

Maintaining a proper diet is essential to establishing good dental health. Select food from the five main groups—fruits, vegetables, meat, grains, and dairy. Try to limit between-meal snacks to foods from these five groups. We all know that children are going to eat sweets. It is important that the teeth be brushed within 15 minutes to prevent decay.

Milk, formula, juices, fizzy drinks and any sweet drink all have sugar in them. Sucking on a bottle filled with liquids that have sugar in them can cause tooth decay. Decayed teeth can cause pain and can cost a lot to fill. During the day, do not give your baby a bottle filled with sweet drinks to use as a comforter.

If your baby uses a soother, do not dip it in anything sweet like sugar or honey.

Near his first birthday, you should teach your child to drink from a cup instead of a bottle.

Choose foods that do not have a lot of sugar in them. Give your child fruits and vegetables instead of sweets and biscuits

 

If a baby tooth is lost too early and the permanent tooth is not ready to erupt, a space maintainer may need to be placed. If the space is not held, nearby teeth will tip and teeth will erupt out of the proper positions leading to bite problems.

Visiting the Dentist

Ask your dentist when to bring your child in for his first visit.  At this first visit, your dentist can quickly check your child's teeth.

Introduce younger children to the dentist when you have to bring the older ones.

Early visits to the dentist develop a positive relationship between the child and their dentist. Talk about the visit in a positive matter-of-fact way. Explain that the dentist is a friendly doctor who helps you take good care of your teeth.

There is nothing more beautiful than a child's smile. But that smile needs your help. Good oral hygiene is not an accident.! Children need help with washing their teeth and spot checks as they get older and more independent.

  Flouride :(pronounced floor-eyed) protects teeth from tooth decay and helps heal early decay. Flouride is in Irish drinking water

Teeth Check

Healthy teeth should be all one colour. If you see spots or stains on the teeth, take your baby to your dentist.

When should you clean your baby's teeth

As soon as they come in with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush. Clean the teeth at least once a day. It's best to clean them right before bedtime.

At about age 2, most of your child's teeth will be in. Now you can start brushing them with a small drop of fluoride toothpaste. Use a drop of toothpaste about the size of a pea.

As your child gets older let him use his own toothbrush -- but you put the toothpaste on the toothbrush until about age 6 

Very young children cannot brush their teeth properly by themselves so even after they have brushed their teeth you should "rinse" them off for them!

 

What should I do if my child won't let me brush her teeth?

If your child fusses every time you brush her teeth, it might help to buy her a special cartoon character toothbrush or toothpaste.

You can also let your child have several brushes in different colours so she can choose the one she wants when it's time to brush. Let her brush her own teeth first while you're brushing your own, and then "check" each other's teeth to see if they're clean, and finish the job for her if she "missed a spot."