Even though your baby’s primary teeth fall out, taking care of them is essential for their gums and those future ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ teeth. Here are the best tips for keeping your little one’s teeth clean.
Even though all primary teeth eventually fall out, it’s important to take care of them. Lᴏss or decay of these teeth can deform the mouth , ᴄᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs when the ᴘᴇʀᴍᴀɴᴇɴᴛ teeth take their place . What’s more, your baby will depend on their primary teeth for proper chewing and nutrition, as well as speech and appearance, for many years. Starting regular brushing habits early will also make your child more likely to ᴍᴀɪɴᴛᴀɪɴ good ᴅᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜʏɢɪᴇɴᴇ in the future. These tips can help you clean baby teeth properly.
Clean your baby’s mouth before their teeth come in.
Before your child’s teeth come in, wipe their gums off after each feeding with a warm, wet washcloth or a dampened piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. You can also buy thimble-like, soft rubbery devices (they fit over your index finger) to use for rubbing off excess food.
Master the teeth cleaning process: Once teeth are visible, The American Academy Of Pᴇᴅɪᴀᴛʀɪᴄ Dᴇɴᴛɪsᴛʀʏ (AAPD) ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅs sᴍᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ a drop of Fʟᴜᴏʀɪᴅᴇ tooth paste the size of a grain of rice on a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head. Use this to clean your baby’s teeth twice a day, gradually increasing to a pea-size amount of paste. Nighttime brushing is most important for ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴀᴠɪᴛɪᴇs. To prevent your child from ingesting too much Fʟᴜᴏʀɪᴅᴇ, which leads to a condition called Fʟᴜᴏʀᴏsɪs, wipe out any residue while brushing. When your baby’s teeth touch each other, it’s time to start fʟᴏssing them.Plan for the first ᴅᴇɴᴛᴀʟ visit.
The AAPD recommends scheduling an appointment when the first tooth appears or no later than your child’s first birthday. Pediatric dentists can detect early tooth decay and give information on proper oral and facial development. Schedule appointments during the time of day when your child is most alert.
Notice when there’s a problem: Tooth decay can occur as a result of constant exposure to natural sugar in breast milk or formula. The first signs are usually white spots on the gum line of the upper front teeth. Eventually, a ᴄᴀᴠɪᴛʏ will form characterized by discoloration and minor pitting. If you notice any of these sʏᴍᴘᴛᴏᴍs, be sure to check with your child’s dentists right away to come up with a treament plan.
Avoid baby bottle tooth decay: Another important part of good dental hygiene is ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ a ᴅɪsᴇᴀsᴇ commonly called baby-bottle mouth, which can lead to the ʟᴏss of primary teeth. It usually develops in babies who are routinely put to bed with bottles of milk, and it’s ɴᴏᴛᴏʀɪᴏᴜs for causing ᴄᴀᴠɪᴛɪᴇs. Never leave your infant with a bottle for long periods of time, especially if you notice they’re no longer feeding and are just using the bottle for comfort. If they must have a bedtime bottle to relax, fill it with plain water.
Source: news.motheringdiary.com