Ever wondered what the right way to care for a baby’s teeth is?
(Baby’s teeth should be actively cared for once they get to around six months).
Before heading to brush a baby’s teeth it’s also important to care for the gum once they are born, when giving them a bath for instance the gum should be wiped (at this point it’s really not advisable to use toothpaste yet) with clean washcloth.
To wipe the gum when babies haven’t grown any tooth yet wrap clean/sterilized washcloth or clean gauze or cotton wool around the index finger and rub this gently over the baby’s gums.
When the baby’s teeth start appearing then it’s time to start brushing. This is to ensure oral hygiene takes centrestage and naturally when the baby starts to grow it becomes a part of him (oral hygiene should be taken seriously).
To properly care for baby’s teeth, note the following:
1. Brush teeth gently
When baby’s teeth start to appear and then brushing start, make it gentle. DON’T brush a baby’s teeth like you would a grown up because apart from the causing damage to the milk teeth while brushing hard, the gum may start to bleed and that opens the child up to infections.
When brushing for babies especially with fluoride toothpaste, a dot size is usually enough so that the baby doesn’t keep ingesting flouride. With babies it’s best to use those (toothpastes) meant for them as they usually come without flouride.
3. Brush twice daily
To keep bad breath and spunky tongue smells at bay ensure to brush the baby’s teeth morning and last thing at night to remove left over food particles and anything that might cause tooth decay.
Watch Pediatric Dentist Michelle Kelman, offer tips on how parents can take care of baby’s teeth from when born to age six.
