1. Preventive Care Starts Before the First Tooth Erupts
It may sound strange, but it is important to take care of your baby's teeth before they even make an appearance! Childhood dental health begins with early care, which can help prevent future problems by removing harmful plaque, which is made up of food and bacteria. If left on the teeth, plaque can cause hard-to-remove tartar and, eventually, cavities and gum disease. After feeding your baby, you can gently clean his gums--and teeth, if he has them yet--with water and a soft toothbrush designed especially for babies, or a damp washcloth. When your baby is 1 year old, it is time to schedule his first dental appointment. If the first tooth comes in before that, you can take him to the dentist as early 6 months of age for a head start on his childhood dental health.
2. Bottle Feeding or Nursing Before Bed Can Cause Tooth Decay
Babies have an innate need to suck and, as any new parent will tell you, often fall asleep doing so. The problem is that when a baby goes to sleep nursing or sucking her bottle, the breast milk or formula pools in the mouth, coating the gums and newly erupted teeth with harmful sugars and severely compromising childhood dental health. For this reason, it's best not to let your baby fall asleep with the bottle or while nursing and to gently brush or wipe her gums before putting her down to sleep. As soon as your baby can drink from a cup--usually by 12 to 14 months--substitute it for the bottle.
3. Brush Twice a Day, and Don't Forget to Floss
By the time your child is 7 or 8, he should be able to brush and floss on his own. Until that time, be sure to brush his teeth at least twice a day and floss once or twice. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to protect the gums and replace it when the bristles look worn, about every 3 months or so, for optimal childhood dental health.
4. Young Children Should Not Use Fluoridated Toothpaste
Until your child is 2 or 3 years old, use a nonfluoridated toothpaste. Very young children have not learned how to properly spit out the toothpaste after brushing, and swallowing fluoride during tooth development is associated with a condition known as enamel fluorosis, which causes white lines to develop on the enamel of the teeth. For older children, fluoridated toothpaste combined with fluoride treatment at the dentist help keep teeth strong.
5. Limit Sugary Snacks and Drinks
You may find that as soon as your baby outgrows her need to suck, she develops a sweet tooth, but she'll have healthier teeth and gums if you start limiting the sugar-filled snacks and drinks in her diet. If your child likes cheese, great! Research indicates that certain cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey jack and Swiss contain substances that may help prevent cavities and promote childhood dental health.
