Oral Health for Infants
As soon as your baby's teeth start to come through, you can start brushing them. Use a baby toothbrush with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.
When do teeth appear?
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Normally, the first or baby teeth appear in the mouth at around 6 months, but the first set is already formed under the gums by the time baby is born. The second set, or permanent teeth, also start to develop around birth, but do not start appearing in the mouth until about six years of age.
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Why are the first teeth important?
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Baby teeth are important for eating, talking and smiling and they also help keep enough space for the second set of teeth as the jaws grow. If first teeth get an abscess, are damaged or extracted, the permanent teeth growing beneath them can be affected. So we need to look after them right from the start.
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What are common problems for the first teeth?
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Teething: When the first teeth start to come through, there may be problems such as sore gums, irritability and disturbed eating and sleeping patterns. A teething ring or sugar-free gel rubbed on the gums with a clean finger, can help ease these problem. If there is dribbling, or a raised temperature, extra water may be needed.
Teething does not cause serious health problems, such as bronchitis. If a child is sick, then he/she should be seen by a doctor and not just have their problem dismissed as 'teething'. Tooth decay (early childhood caries) can happen very quickly and cause many problems. Children may stop enjoying life, stop eating, have sleepless nights, fail to grow well, complain of pain and be unable to focus on play and learning. Certain bacteria around the teeth feed on sugars in food and drink and produce acids, which attack the teeth causing tooth decay. In infancy, these bacteria are often passed on from the mother, as when she licks items which are then put into the child's mouth. Tooth decay can be prevented by attention to diet, supervised tooth brushing and dental checks. Injuries to the mouth and teeth are quite common between 12 & 24 months, when a baby is learning to walk. Sometimes the tooth is pushed back up into the jaw at this age. If injury causes bleeding that does not stop, if you cannot find the tooth, or a tooth is broken, arrange to see the dentist as soon as possible who can then advise on the extent of the damage. Finger or dummy sucking may affect proper development of teeth and gums. If a baby seems to need a pacifier, then ask the dentist for advice. Since sweet items placed in the mouth can cause tooth decay, do NOT dip pacifiers in sweet jam or honey. |
How can I care for my child's teeth?
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Healthy eating
For the first few months, breast milk or formula feed will provide all the nourishment your baby needs. At 4-6 months, baby rice, mashed potato, pureed fruit and vegetables can be introduced. As the child is weaned, use sugar-free foods to avoid promoting a taste for sweet things. Rusks should not be used as a first weaning food as they contain sugar. Tooth decay results from frequent contact with sugary foods and drinks, including rusks, sweets, biscuits and sweetened drinks including baby juices. It is best to limit these to mealtimes, since sugary foods and drinks should be avoided between meals and at bedtimes. The high energy needs of young children can be met between meals with fresh fruit, toast, plain crackers with cheese spread, cheese cubes and yoghurt. From 6 months onwards, drinks should be given via a feeding cup in order to protect dental health. Never leave infants with sugar-sweetened drinks in feeding bottles or cups, especially at bedtime. A child's normal fluid intake should ideally be plain water or milk. A regular intake of acidic drinks can cause dental erosion. Always ask for sugar-free medicines. If these are not available, then make sure that teeth are cleaned (with a smear of fluoride toothpaste on a brush) after giving the medicine. Brushing Baby's teeth should be cleaned twice daily as soon as they appear, using a small toothbrush to remove the plaque. At this age, only a smear of fluoride toothpaste should be used. By 3 years of age, this can be increased to a small pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Young children should not play with toothbrushes and toothpaste without supervision. Adults must supervise or assist with brushing until children can do it effectively on their own, usually by the age of about seven years. Don’t use water for rinsing, just spit. Help children to spit out after brushing instead of rinsing. Help children to spit out afterwards rather than rinsing. Always brush last thing at night and at one other time of day. |
Dental visits! |
How soon to arrange baby's first dental visit? Children should be taken to a dentist from an early age. As soon as the first teeth start to appear, bring baby along with you when you go for a check up. From the age of 6 or 7 years your dentist may apply fissure sealants to protect the vulnerable back teeth from decay.
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Summary
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