In the Know for You to Know
What can I do during my pregnancy to help my child have healthy teeth? Nutrition is always very important and especially for the oral health of your growing baby. A good place to visit for healthy eating tips is myplate.gov. Taking your prenatal vitamins as recommended by your Obstetrician is key since your baby’s teeth are forming along with other important body parts between 7 weeks and 3 months.
I’m having my first baby and following my OB’s instructions. I can’t help wondering, is there anything else I should or could be doing? Congratulations first time Mommy!! My question for you is, when is the last time you saw your dentist? It is so important to take care of your own oral health during your pregnancy and after your baby is born. This also holds true for Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa and everyone who is going to hold, kiss, and feed your baby. You see if someone has active cavities or gum disease the bacteria in the saliva can be passed along to your baby by kissing, sharing spoons, and licking a pacifier. So remember to see your Dentist for regular check-ups, brush twice a day and floss before your nightly brushing.
I heard babies can get cavities from bottle and breast feeding. I’m going to have to do a combination of both since I’ll have to go back to work. How can I prevent this from happening? Start when your baby is born. Even before teeth come in it is important to wipe their gums, cheeks, tongue, roof of their mouth after each feeding with a wet wash cloth and also before you put your baby to bed for their nap time or bedtime. Remember not to ever put your baby to bed with a bottle and don’t let your baby fall asleep while you are breast feeding. The reason is that the sugar will sit in their mouth and eventually on their teeth, which is what causes cavities.
I have terrible teeth. When should I start cleaning my Baby’s teeth? The sooner the better. Before your babies teeth come in use a wet wash cloth to wipe their gums, cheeks, tongue, and the roof of their mouth after each feeding and before you put them down for their nap or bedtime. Once teeth start coming in it’s necessary to clean those pearly whites, their gums, cheeks, tongue and roof of their mouth after each feeding and before putting them down for their nap or bedtime. Whether you use a wash cloth, baby tooth brush, or finger brush, remember to lift their upper and lower lips to see their whole tooth.
Do you have any advice on teething? From 4 months to 3 years old you may see sore or swollen gums as your child’s teeth start to come into their mouths. Some children may run a low grade fever, some may have diarrhea, some may tug at their ears, or some may just show you their toothy grin. If need be, it’s best for you to hold and gently rub a cool wet wash cloth on their tooth bumps. Never use teething rings, teething gels, gel pads, teething beads, teething necklaces, teething bracelets, or any kind of pain reliever without discussing this first with you Pediatric Dentist or Pediatrician. If you are not sure it’s teeth or if your child is sick always reach out to your Pediatric Dentist or Pediatrician.
How old should my Baby be when I make our first Pediatric Dentist appointment? My Dentist says it’s 3 years old, my Pediatrician says 1 year old, which is it? It’s best to schedule your first visit when your Baby’s first tooth comes into their mouth. There is a lot to talk about. Not only do we examine teeth, we check their dental growth and developmental milestones, we talk about diet, oral hygiene schedules, tooth paste, pacifiers and thumb sucking habits, and so much more.
Should I worry if my Baby is a thumb or finger sucker? My husband and his siblings did both and now I’m concerned. Thumb sucking is normal for infants and most stop before they are 2 years old. Prolonged thumb or finger sucking can create crowded, crooked teeth and bite problems. There are a few ways to address this concern and it is specific for your child’s needs.
How common are cavities in young children? In this day and age do I really need to worry about cavities? In a word, Yes. Cavities are the most common disease of childhood. Cavities are 5-8 times more common than asthma. Cavities affect 20% of Preschoolers, 50% of School Age Children, and 75% of Adolescents. Cavities that start early in life continue throughout life.
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