Tips to safeguard baby’s pearly whites

Sweet dreams. Children should not fall asleep with a bottle containing anything other than water. Because saliva is produced only in the daytime, any food, acids and bacteria introduced during late night feedings will stay in the baby’s mouth until it is cleaned.

An ounce of prevention. Nursing moms need to be vigilant about cleaning baby’s gums and primary teeth due to late night and at-will overnight feedings. According to the AAPD, at-will breast-feeding should be avoided after the first primary (baby) teeth begin to erupt and other sources of nutrition have been introduced.

The word on juice. Drinking juice from a bottle should be avoided. Fruit juice should only be offered in a cup with meals or at snack time.

Cleaning baby’s mouth. After each feeding, clean baby’s gums gently with a gauze pad or a washcloth and water.

Bye-bye bottle. Children should be weaned from a bottle by 12-14 months of age. Thumb sucking should be discouraged by age 2 since prolonged thumb sucking can create crooked teeth or bite problems.

Tame the teething blues. Teething is common until age 3. Tender gums can be soothed with clean cool teething rings, a cool spoon or even a wet washcloth. Most toddlers simply need to chew to feel better.

Brush up on tooth brushing. Be sure to brush your preschooler’s teeth and supervise the brushing and flossing of school-age children until they are 7 to 8 years of age. The AAPD recommends using only soft-bristled toothbrushes.

A little dab will do you. As soon as the first teeth erupt, brush with a soft toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. Use a “smear” of toothpaste to brush the teeth of a child less than 2 years of age. A pea-sized dab of toothpaste with fluoride is all that’s needed on the toothbrush for 2- to 5-year-olds. Choose toothpastes with no colors, dyes or sweeteners. Training toothpastes are not necessary.

Source: Dr. Victoria A. Ursitti