Your child's oral health during development- Caring for your child's teeth from infancy to age 3

Infant oral health helps protect your baby’s teeth for the years to come. Primary teeth help your child to chew and speak and hold a space in the jaws for permanent teeth that are growing under the gums. If a primary tooth is lost too early, the permanent teeth could drift into the empty space and make it difficult for the permanent teeth to come in which leads to crooked or crowded teeth. This is why it is important for your child to have good oral hygiene that starts right after birth. After the first couple days after birth, wipe the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. Repeat this every time you feed your baby. Usually your baby’s first four teeth start to appear around 6 months, but sometimes it can be up to 12-14 months, and most children will have a full set of 20 primary teeth by age 3. Decay can occur as soon as the teeth start to appear. Tooth decay in infant and toddlers teeth is usually referred to as “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.” This usually affects the upper front teeth. You may be thinking, “What causes this?” The most common cause is when teeth are exposed to sugar drinks for a prolonged time. Breastfeeding can cause cavities because like formula, it contains sugar. Tooth decay also occurs if you put your baby to bed with a bottle. Tooth decay can also come from cavity-causing bacteria in your saliva being passed from you to your baby. Usually this occurs if you put your baby’s feeding spoon in your mouth or cleaning a pacifier in your mouth before you give it back to your baby. Insufficient fluoride can also increase risk for tooth decay. There is no need to worry though because there are plenty of preventative habits that can help decrease the chance of tooth decay for your baby. The first is to make sure you are not sharing saliva with your baby either through feeding utensils or by licking pacifiers. After each feeding, wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp washcloth or gauze. When your baby’s teeth come in, start brushing them with a child-size toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste (size of a grain of rice) until the age of 3. Only put milk, formula or breastmilk in bottles. Don’t fill the bottle with sugar water, juice or soft drinks. Before putting your child to bed or down for a nap make sure your baby finishes their bottle. Only use clean pacifiers, don’t dip in in sugar or honey. Encourage your child to switch from a bottle to a cup by his/her first birthday and discourage ongoing use of sippy cups. Thumbsucking is normal for infants but it should be stopped by age 3-4 before it causes problems like crooked teeth or bite problems and also changes in the roof of the mouth. Thumbsucking can also cause these problems if done for an extended period of time.  When your baby start eating solid foods, make healthy choices that will help with the development and growth of your child’s teeth like fruits and vegetables.

Your child's oral health during development- Help your baby’s teeth as you help your own

Most women, when pregnant, have cravings. Now you are eating for two so think about what you eat and snack on. A healthy diet is necessary for a healthy pregnancy and good oral health for you and your baby. As you snack, find foods that are not high in sugar because these can lead to cavities. When you choose your snacks, find food that is high in nutrients and low in sugar. Some examples might include: yogurt, cheese, raw fruits, vegetables and foods high in protein. Because your baby’s teeth start forming between the third and sixth month of pregnancy, make sure you diet consists the essential nutrients to help the development of the teeth. Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, protein and calcium are some of the necessary nutrients that need to be part of your diet. It is very important to keep up with your dental hygiene by eating a balanced diet, brushing twice a day and flossing once a day. After your baby is born and if you are breastfeeding, it is very important to stay hydrated because a dry mouth can increase the risk for gum disease and cavities.

Your child's oral health during development- Pregnancy Dental Visits

Keep up with your 6 month dental checkups! When you schedule your appointment, make sure you tell the staff how far along you are and if you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications. Keeping the doctors informed helps as they treat and discuss your oral hygiene as you are pregnant. If you have tooth pain or discomfort, swelling or bleeding in your mouth, or any other changes that you discover call your dentist to discuss what steps should be taken to make sure you and your baby stay healthy. Sometimes x-rays might be needed to diagnose a problem, but there is no need to worry because there are methods to keep you and your baby safe while the x-rays are taken. Sometimes treatments will be postponed until after the birth depending on the risk of the pregnancy, other medical conditions and what your physician and dentist decide. After birth, if you need to have dental work done that requires medication while nursing, check with you dentist, physician and pediatrician to make sure it is safe for baby.

Your child's oral health during development- Expecting?

Pregnancy is an exciting time but also can be terrifying, especially if it is your first baby. There are so many things to think about and plan for during this time including choosing a physician, choosing a name, and buying all the necessary items including diapers, outfits and car seats. It can be very overwhelming and that’s why we want to help you during this time with guidelines for you and your baby’s oral health. As you know, your body changes while you are pregnant and one of these changes involves hormone levels. With hormone levels changing you may experience some changes to your gums. You may see your gums start to bleed or swell when you are brushing and flossing which could possibly be the start of pregnancy gingivitis which is an infection of the gums. To help prevent pregnancy gingivitis you need to keep your teeth clean by brushing your teeth for two minutes, two times a day with toothpaste that contains fluoride and flossing once a day. Sometimes it is even recommended to get your teeth cleaned a little more often than usual if you develop pregnancy gingivitis. 

Your child's oral health during development: Intro

Dr. Spencer Zaugg, Family & Implant Dentistry wants to help you along your way to achieving the best oral hygiene possible for your child. We feel that it is very important to take preventative steps and learn habits that will benefit your child's health during development. The information that will be addressed is approved by the American Dental Association. We hope you find this information beneficial for you and your child.