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How to look after your child's teeth
How to look after your child's teeth
Posted: 12/03/2021

Ensure a big haul from the tooth fairy -protect those teeth!!!

It can be so exciting to see baby’s first tooth erupt…. especially if that tooth has caused many sleepless nights and caused much angst along the way!! But with the arrival of that pearly white, comes some responsibility - tooth brushing!! In order to prevent tooth cavities and caries, it is really important to develop a routine of good dental hygiene from the very beginning. If baby teeth are lost early, then adult teeth may not be positioned properly and in later childhood your child may need braces.

Most babies get their first tooth around 4 - 7 months, though, as with all things, this can vary greatly. Some babies have even been born with a tooth!!!

Firstly it is important to understand just what causes tooth decay in babies and toddlers….

So, you don’t feed your tiny baby sweets and sugary food- all is good on the tooth front, right?? WRONG!! Formula milk contains lactose - a sugar naturally present in milk. This sugar causes the bacteria in baby’s mouth to thrive. Lots of bacteria is bad news for baby’s teeth as the bacteria attacks the outer enamel, eroding it and causing cavities.

Studies have shown that breast milk is not at fault in causing dental cavities as the immunity in breast milk helps to kill off some of the bacteria in the mouth… however, many babies are not breastfed exclusively or indeed beyond 4-6 months and of course, when solids are introduced at about 6 months, breastfed babies are at similar risk as bottle fed babies to dental problems.

Another thing that is really bad for teeth is allowing a baby to fall asleep while drinking a bottle. This means the lactose-rich milk stays in baby’s mouth for longer as saliva production slows down when baby sleeps. With all this extra time to feed on the milk, the bacteria flourishes and attacks those little toothies!!

This same problem arises when toddlers are allowed to feed themselves with a bottle…. sucking milk over a prolonged period means milk stays in the mouth for longer, causing dental problems. Bacteria present on bottle teats can also increase the bacterial count in the mouth, causing more tooth destruction. For this reason it is highly recommended that children over 1 year should not be bottle-fed at all. Dummies too can increase bacterial content in the mouth so should only be used sparingly. A good idea is to pull out baby’s dummy right after falling asleep, so it isn’t resting in his/her mouth all night.

Now, it’s not all about limiting the amount of bacteria in baby’s mouth… it’s also important to develop a good tooth brushing routine, even before that first tooth appears!

💚 The sooner you start a dental routine the easier it is for baby to get used to you cleaning their teeth.

💚 Hold baby in your lap, in a sitting position. Perhaps before that first pearly white appears at all you could get baby used to you putting something in their mouth by using a super soft toothbrush or a finger brush (an ingenious product that allows you to put a soft silicone brush on your finger, giving you the ability to gently clean baby’s gums really easily). Another alternative is to use a clean damp cloth after each feed to gently rub each tooth.

💚 Preferably no toothpaste should be used for the first while… then any product should be as natural as possible. Avoid baby toothpaste that contains too much fluoride as babies inevitably swallow what is in their mouth…. too much fluoride ingested as a baby could stain adult teeth. However, from about 18 months, it is important to use toothpaste with a small amount of fluoride as it helps to strengthen teeth and keep tooth decay at bay.

💚 It is possible to choose fruit flavoured toothpaste as it may be more pleasant for baby than the traditional mint flavour.

💚 A tiny smear of toothpaste is all that is needed for babies and toddlers up to 3 years. After that, a pea sized amount for children aged 3-6.

With these tips, you can ensure that your baby’s tooth is bright and shiny and worthy of plenty of coins from the Tooth Fairy when the time comes!

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