Taking Care of Your Baby's Teeth

The Importance of Infant Dental Care
Dental care should be a part of everyone's day, starting at infancy. You should start regular teeth cleaning as soon as your baby's first tooth begins to show. All teeth are susceptible to decay and infant's teeth are no exception. In fact, babies are very susceptible to tooth decay.

Milk, formula, juices, and other sweet drinks such as soda all have sugar in them. Without proper cleaning, these sugars stay in the baby's mouth and can lead to early tooth decay. If you put your baby to bed with a bottle, many dentists recommend putting water in the baby bottle.

How to Clean Your Baby's Teeth
As soon as the first tooth comes in, you should begin a routine of cleaning your baby's teeth with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush. You should clean the teeth at least once a day. It is best to clean babies' teeth right before bedtime, making this a "fun" thing since first impressions are very important.

Fluoride and Infant Dental Care
Fluoride protects teeth from tooth decay and gum disease. For infants, the fluoride that is in most town and city drinking water is sufficient. Ask your dentist or doctor if your water has fluoride in it. If it does not, talk to your dentist or doctor about giving you a prescription for fluoride drops for your baby.

Feed Your Baby Healthy Food
The same rules of eating good foods to complement oral hygiene that grown-ups follow apply to babies as well. Choose foods that do not have a lot of sugar in them. You should also give your child fruits and vegetables as an alternative to candy and cookies. Something to remember: the stickier the candy, the greater the chance it has of harming the teeth.

Take Your Baby to the Dentist
Ask your dentist about when to bring your child in for his first visit. Usually, the dentist will want to see a child between ages 1 and 2. At this first visit, your dentist can quickly check your child's teeth while sitting on Mom's lap. Also, you may want to start your child's first dental experience with a children's dental specialist a pediatric dentist, also known as a pedodentist.