|
1. Developing oral hygiene habits starts before your baby has
teeth. Wiping your baby's gums after feeding with a clean, damp
cloth will help your baby get used to having their mouth cleaned
after eating.
2. If you feel that your baby needs to sleep with a bottle or
sippy cup, fill it with water only. Other liquids like juice
or milk encourage the growth of bacteria which cause tooth
decay.
3. After feeding and mouth cleaning, lift your baby's lip to
look for changes in the colour of your baby's front teeth. White
lines or spots, brown lines or spots or chips in the teeth may be
signs of potential problems, which, if caught early, are easy to
repair.
4. As soon your baby's first tooth appears begin brushing with
an infant or baby tooth brush. Brush in the morning and especially
before bedtime. Lie your child down with their head well
supported by a pillow, a couch, a bed or your lap. This improves
your visibility and you will have TWO hands free with which to
brush.
5. Use a fluoride toothpaste. Use only a very small smear of
toothpaste with each brushing. Fluoride in the toothpaste helps to
harden the tooth mineral making it more resistant to acid. Keep the
toothpaste tube out of baby's and children's reach.
6. Change your child's toothbrush after each dental checkup
(usually once every 6 months or so). If your child becomes
ill, as most children do, either change the toothbrush after they
recover to avoid reinfection OR disinfect the toothbrush in a
dishwasher.
7. Make toothbrushing fun. Sing songs, play hide and seek
looking for dinosaurs in each others mouth, read stories about
healthy teeth and visiting the dentist. But, most importantly, make
sure YOU brush your child's teeth until they are old enough to
WRITE their name correctly. That usually happens around grade
3!
8. Your child's first dental check-up should occur by 12 months
of age or within 6 months of the first tooth appearing. This
well-baby visit is a great time to ask the dental team questions
about your child's dental health.
9. Healthy snacks are important for general health. Try to avoid
acidic foods or foods containing sugar or starch between meals.
Sticky snacks containing sugar (such as dried fruit) or starch
(crackers, cookies, granola bars) are especially harmful. Some
healthy snack choices include nuts and seeds, nut butters like
peanut or almond, cheese, plain yogurt, popcorn, raw
vegetables.
10. Sweets - we all know they can cause cavities. But moms and
dads need to know that it's not the amount of sweets our children
eat but how often and when they eat them. Every time we eat
something with sugar, the oral bacteria produce acid that can
damage the teeth and this "attack" can last for up to 20 minutes
each time! Try to eat sweets only at the end of meal. | 