5 Preventative Child Dental Care Tips You Should Know

21 Aug 5 Preventative Child Dental Care Tips You Should Know

When it comes to your child’s teeth, it is very important to start paying the visits to the dentist very early on. That and making sure you take all the necessary steps to educate your child when it comes to dental care. There are other steps you need to take as a parent to prevent tooth decay and any other future dental problems. Knowing the following will not only improve your child’s dental health but also save you some serious bucks. So, here are some preventative child dental care tips.

1. When Should I Visit the Dentist?

Make sure you take your child to the dental office after the first six months or after the first tooth erupts. Overall, make sure you take your child to see the dentist before the first birthday. (Especially if your child’s teeth hadn’t erupted yet by the time your child had its first birthday.)

2. Clean or Brush Your Baby’s Teeth

Make sure you wipe and brush your infant’s gums with a wet washcloth or gauze pad after each feeding. When a tooth or two appear, brush them with children’s toothbrush and water. Do not use fluoridated toothpaste until the age 2-3. Once your child is pre-school age, start using fluoride toothpaste.

3. Avoid “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay”

Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle of juice, baby formula or milk. If your baby needs to have a bottle while napping, make sure it’s filled with water. Otherwise, your child might get “early childhood caries.” However, avoiding napping with bottles is still advisable, since children who drink bottles while lying down might be more prone to ear infections.

With that said, make sure you only give your baby a bottle during meals. Don’t let your child walk around with the bottle for a prolonged period of time. Make sure the bottle is not used as a pacifier. This can cause “baby bottle tooth decay” and some serious injuries if the child falls while drinking from the bottle.

4. Drinking from the Cup

Teach your child to drink from the cup by age 1. Drinking from the cup will prevent the liquid from lingering around teeth longer than needed and the cup can’t be taken to the bed. If you’re worried about the mess, use the sippy cup or some other spill-proof drinking cup.

5. Don’t Spread the Bacteria

Please don’t put your baby’s bottle, pacifier or other items in your mouth to clean them. The bacteria that lives in your mouth will further be transferred to those objects and your baby’s mouth causing the tooth decay.