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When Do I Get Started - I Don't Have Teeth!
Before your baby has teeth, wipe his or her
mouth at least once a day. (After each feeding is even better!)
 | Care of baby's teeth starts the day your baby is born -- make it a part
of your baby's bath routine. |
| Use a wet, clean washcloth (no toothpaste until age two, unless advised
by your dentist). Or use Xylitol wipes - (available online at
http://www.spiffies.com, or check with your dentist). |
| Wash inside the lips, cheeks and all around the tongue, the roof of the
mouth and upper and lower gums. |
Don't put anything in your baby's mouth
that has been in your mouth.
| Cavity-causing germs that live in your mouth can be transferred to your
child's mouth and start growing, leading to tooth decay. |
| Kissing your baby on the lips, tasting food on a spoon before putting it
in your child's mouth, or cleaning off a pacifier with your mouth before
giving it to your baby can all transfer this bacteria. |
Take your baby to the dentist shortly after
his/her first birthday, or within 6 months of the first tooth erupting.
| A dentist can see quickly if there are problems starting, such as baby
bottle tooth decay. Also, a dentist can give you good tips on how to
avoid future decay. |
If your baby sucks her thumb, fingers or a pacifier, try to wean her off by
age 2.
| A baby's habit of sucking is important for feeding. Sometimes, a
baby starts sucking their thumbs, fingers or a pacifier, and this becomes
reinforced as a way to calm them. |
| This sucking habit can cause problems with how baby teeth erupt and how
the jaw grows. If left too long, it can cause the child to have
difficulties with correct speech. |
| Do not try and stop the baby from sucking on non-food items in the first
six months. |
| After 6 months, try and gently pull the child's fingers from their
mouths. A pacifier is better to use than fingers. |
| As the child grows, use praise or other positive reinforcements when the
child can resist sucking. Do not give negative attention when the
child is sucking - this can cause stress, which they will try to relieve by
more sucking. |
| As a goal, parents should try to stop pacifier use (or thumb/finger
sucking) by age 18 months - 2 years, to avoid problems with teeth eruption.
However, every child is unique, and this will be harder for some than for
others. |
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I drink from a bottle, isn't milk good for my
teeth?
Bedtime bottles should only have water in them.
Don't allow your baby to have a bottle or sippy cup throughout the day.
Wean your baby from a bottle to a cup (not a sippy cup) by 10-12 months.
| Baby Bottle Tooth Decay can happen when sugar stays around your baby's
teeth. Sugar is in milk, formula, juice, sweet drinks and breast milk.
Do not let your baby sip from the bottle or cup all day; this also can cause the
bacteria to eat your baby's tooth enamel. If you must put your baby to
bed with a bottle, fill the bottle with water (see tips below). Never let
babies or small children sleep with a sticky and sugary coating of milk or
juice on their teeth. |
| How do I stop the bottle feeding habit? (click here for
printable version): (1) Plan for a 6-week transition. (2)
Dilute the milk or formula 1/2 oz at a time, keeping the temperature the
same. (3) By 6 weeks, the bottle should have only water. (4)
If it is important to feed the child before sleeping (nap or bedtime),
finish by 20 minutes before sleeping time, then follow with a bottle of
water. |
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What about snacks?
Limit how often your child has juice, sweet drinks, and
snacks. Add an equal amount of water to fruit juice. Snacks like cheese,
yogurt, fruit and vegetables are better for teeth than chips, crackers or
cereals. After your child eats sweets, chips, crackers or juice, brush
their teeth or rinse with water.
| Foods that taste sweet, such as candy, juice and soda have sugars in
them. Other foods such as crackers, cereals and chips (carbohydrate
snacks) start turning
into sugars once they are chewed. All of these foods can help the
bacteria grow in your child's mouth. |
| Diluting fruit juice helps dilute the sugars. Soda is very bad for
teeth, and is not healthy for children. |
| The frequency of snacking (how often) can cause more problems than the
amount the child eats or drinks. Try to limit how often your
child snacks on foods that make sugars. |
| Good snacks are a PROTEIN snack (such as string cheese) or FRUITS and
VEGETABLES (high fiber foods help wash the plaque off the teeth). Make sure that very young children do not eat foods that
can cause choking (such as nuts, grapes, hard cheeses, hot dogs, popcorn) |
| After snacking try to rinse with water. Xylitol mints or gum can
be used as the child gets older (you don't want them to choke on the mints,
or to swallow the gum).
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Once I have teeth, how do I take care of
them?
Once the first tooth appears, start
brushing!
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Lift the lip and look at your baby's teeth every day.
Look for white spots or brown spots, both are signs of decay. |
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Starting at 18 months, help your child use a toothbrush
twice a day using circular motions. Talk to your dentist about whether
you should use toothpaste if your child is under two years old.
If you have not seen a dentist, use only water until age two, or until you
talk to a dentist. |
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Once the child is two, use a thin smear of fluoride
toothpaste (or a tiny pea size) on the brush. The parent should apply
the toothpaste. The toothbrush should be tapped on the sink to allow
the toothpaste to settle in the bristles. This keeps the child from
swallowing the paste before it is brushed on the teeth. Wipe off excess toothpaste
from the teeth until child can spit out. |
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Using short strokes, gently move the brush back and forth
along each tooth. |
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Remember to brush the outer, inner and chewing portions of
each tooth.
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Ask your doctor or dentist about
fluoride .
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Fluoride is a mineral that protects the teeth. It can
make teeth stronger and protect against tooth decay. It can help heal
tooth decay if it has not gone too far. |
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Fluoride is endorsed by major health organizations
worldwide, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. |
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Almost all water sources in Tuolumne County have very low
levels of natural fluoride. The county does not add fluoride to any
water supply. For children to get fluoride, they need to take
supplements or have it applied to their teeth. |
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Children can start having fluoride drops at 6 months of age
(available by prescription by a doctor or dentist). Children can have
a fluoride varnish applied to the outside of their teeth every 6 months, and
this has been shown to be very effective. |
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In Tuolumne County, the Smile Keepers program does oral
screening and applies fluoride varnish at many preschool sites (see
list).
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Mouth Rinse Can Help Fight Decay
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Fluoride mouth rinse is recommended for children who are old
enough to swish and spit. Adults will also benefit from using the
rinse. Rinse after breakfast, and before bedtime. There
are several brands on the market. The Tuolumne MeWuk Dental Clinic
recommends two that are widely available in local stores and pharmacies: Equate Anti-cavity Fluoride Mouth rinse or the ACT Anti-cavity fluoride
mouth rinse. |
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Adults who care for the child should
visit the dentist. Adults can also chew sugar-free gum with xylitol after
eating .
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Since bacteria is easily transmitted from adult to child, it
is important for adults to get care for their own teeth, and to reduce the
level of bacteria present. |
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Sugar-free gum with Xylitol is preferred over plain
sugarless gum and helps to reduce bacteria when chewed after eating. |
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Used of an antibacterial mouth rinse along with the gum can
lower the amount of bacteria in the parent's mouth. This is available
by prescription from a dentist.
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What do pregnant women need to know about healthy mouths?
See a dentist when you learn you are
pregnant.
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If a woman has serious dental problems, they should be
treated, as it can affect her health and the health of the fetus. |
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A woman who has a high level of bacteria in her mouth can
pass this along to her new infant. |
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Morning sickness can lead to loss of tooth enamel; women
should NOT BRUSH their teeth immediately after vomiting. Instead, women
should rinse with a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water to rinse and
spit after vomiting. After 10 minutes, they can brush their teeth
without doing further damage. |
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Pregnant women can keep their teeth healthy by eating small
amounts of snacks rich in protein, such as cheese, throughout the day, and
using gentle tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste twice a day. |
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Women who have morning sickness should talk to their dentist
about using MI paste, which helps to remineralize their teeth. It
works much better than fluoride mouth rinse alone. If the paste
is not available, pregnant women should use a fluoride-containing mouth rinse immediately before bedtime
to
help re-mineralize their teeth. |
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Pregnant women are eligible for dental insurance under Medi-Cal. |
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The best time to learn about how to take care of your baby's
teeth is when you are pregnant. Care of baby's teeth starts the
day your baby is born -- make it a part of your baby's bath routine.
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