Caring for your baby's teeth

After weeks of watching your child drool and fuss, you finally see the first small bud of a tooth showing through the gums. Over the next two years, your child's gummy smile will gradually be replaced by two rows of baby teeth.

Milk teeth may be small, but they are important. They act as fillers for adult teeth. Without healthy baby teeth, your child will have trouble chewing, smiling, and speaking clearly. That is why it is so important to take care of milk teeth and prevent caries in them. By starting early, your child will get used to the daily routine.

Caring for your baby's gums

You can start caring for your child's gums right away. But initially, care will not consist in a toothbrush and toothpaste. Instead, do the following:

Get a soft, moistened washcloth or piece of gauze.
Gently wipe down your baby's gums at least twice a day.
Especially wipe your baby's gums after feedings and before bedtime.

This will eliminate the bacteria and prevent them from sticking to the gums. The bacteria can leave behind a sticky residue that can damage babies' teeth when they enter.

Brushing your baby's teeth

When the first milk teeth begin to appear, you can switch to a toothbrush. Your child's pediatrician may suggest waiting until four consecutive teeth have fallen out. others recommend waiting until the child is 2 or 3 years old. Choose a toothbrush with:

Soft brush
Small head
Large handle

First, just wet your toothbrush. Soaking the brush in warm water for a few minutes before brushing can further soften the bristles.

As soon as the teeth appear, you can start using toothpaste at the rate of a grain of rice. You can increase this amount to a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste when your child is 3 years old.

Fluoride is safe for children. It is a natural mineral that protects and strengthens teeth from caries. Using it at an early age will provide additional protection for developing teeth.

Many children's toothpastes contain child-friendly flavors to further encourage brushing. Choose your child's favorite game.

Read the manufacturer's label. Some toothpastes are not recommended for children under a certain age.

Brush your child's teeth twice a day. Spend 2 minutes brushing, spending most of that time on your back molars. This is the area where tooth decay often develops first.

Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months, or more often if it shows signs of wear. Never share your toothbrush with others.

You should brush your child's teeth until he is big enough to hold a brush. Use dental floss after all baby teeth come out. You and your child may find it easier to use sticks or flossing sticks instead of regular flossing. Brush and floss right before bed. After that, do not give the child anything to eat or drink except water until the next morning.

Continue to supervise the process until your child can rinse and spit it out without assistance. This usually happens around the age of 6 years. In the meantime, remember that the best way to teach children how to brush their teeth is to lead by example. By letting your child watch you brush your teeth, you demonstrate the importance of good oral hygiene.

When your child turns 6, fluoride rinses can help prevent cavities. Ask your dentist which product is right for you. Make sure your child gets enough fluoride, which helps reduce cavities. If your local water does not contain fluoride, ask your dentist or doctor if you should use a supplement.

Look out for any signs of deciduous tooth decay, such as brown or white spots or pits on the teeth. If you or your pediatrician notice any problems, take your child to a pediatric dentist for a checkup.

Even if there are no problems, your child should visit the dentist for the first time at the age of 1 year or within 6 months after the appearance of the first tooth. Timely prevention will save you money in the long run. The report shows that dental care costs are nearly 40% lower over a 5-year period for children who see a dentist before the age of 5. Your dentist can give you advice about:

Baby tooth care
Teething
Fluoride
Thumb sucking
Sealant coatings, which can help prevent tooth decay in children
Diet
Teething

Children's teeth erupt at different times It can take up to 2 years before all the baby teeth erupt through your child's gums. The process of the appearance of each tooth is called "teething". This can be a difficult time for you and your child.

Teething is uncomfortable. This is why your child cries and worries days or weeks before each baby tooth comes in. Babies may also experience other teething symptoms, including:

Drooling
Swollen gums
Slightly higher than normal temperature

Here are some tips on how to relieve the pain of teething in a child:

Tooth rings. Have your baby chew on a clean, cool teether or a cold washcloth. Just don't give your child anything small enough that he won't choke. Also avoid dental rings with liquid inside, which can break.
Rubbing of the gums. Rub your child's gums with a clean finger.
Pain relief. Local anesthetics are rubbed into the gums. Those containing benzocaine should not be used for teething. Experts warn that these products can cause life-threatening side effects. Give your child acetaminophen from time to time for pain relief, but check with your pediatrician first. Never give your child aspirin. It has been linked to a rare but serious condition called Reye's syndrome in children.

If your child is unusually irritable or inconsolable, call your pediatrician.

Preventing cavities

In addition to caring for milk teeth, you need to protect them. To prevent cavities, fill your baby bottle only:

Formula
Breast milk
Water
Special electrolyte solutions when the child has diarrhea

Do not give your child fruit juices, sodas, or other sugary drinks. Limit them to 120 ml per day of 100% fruit juice. During meals, give unsweetened foods and drinks, and use juice only as a treat.

Sugary drinks can get on your teeth. This can lead to the destruction of milk teeth. Babies whose pacifiers are often dipped in sugar or syrup are also at risk. It is especially harmful to give a child sugary drinks during daytime sleep or at night, because salivation decreases during sleep. Bacteria feed on the sugar in sugary drinks and produce acid that destroys a child's teeth.

If you need to send your baby to sleep or take a nap with a bottle or sippy cup, fill it with water only. Also, don't put anything sweet on your baby's nipple.

Although cavities usually occur on the upper front teeth, other teeth can also be affected.

If baby bottle cavities are left untreated, it can lead to pain and infection. Severely decayed teeth may need to be removed.

If teeth become infected or fall out too early due to baby bottle decay, your baby may develop bad eating habits, speech problems, crooked teeth, and damaged adult teeth. They will also be more likely to have crooked adult teeth.

It's never too late to get rid of bad habits. If your child drinks sugary liquids from a bottle or sleeps with a bottle, stop this habit now and reduce the risk of bottle breakage by:

Slowly dilute the contents of the vial with water over 2-3 weeks.
After this period, fill the bottle with water only.
Give up the pacifier at the age of 2 or 3 years. There are many good reasons why your child might use a pacifier, but it can ultimately affect tooth alignment. The shape of the mouth may also change. Tell your doctor if he is still using a pacifier after three years of age.
Beware of sweet drugs. Medicines for children can be flavored and sweetened. If they stick to the teeth, the risk of caries increases. Children who take medication for chronic conditions such as asthma and heart problems often have higher rates of tooth decay. Antibiotics and some asthma medications can cause yeast to overgrow, which can lead to a fungal infection called oral thrush. Signs are creamy curdled patches on the tongue or in the mouth. Talk to your dentist about brushing frequency if your child is on medication for a long time. This can be up to four times a day.

Remember that healthy baby teeth grow into healthy permanent teeth.