Baby Teeth: Preventing Tooth Decay

Baby Teeth: Preventing Tooth Decay
It is important to care for your baby’s teeth the moment they appear to help ensure the development of strong and healthy teeth. Your baby’s primary teeth will usually begin to appear between 6 months and typically have a full set of 20 primary teeth by the time they are 3 years old.
Tooth decay is common in children if good oral care is not implemented right away to help protect their teeth. Tooth decay is caused from acid-producing bacteria that dissolves that outer layer (enamel) of the tooth. This acid-producing bacteria can be passed to a child through saliva from their parents or caregivers. When a pacifier falls on the floor and a parent cleans it off in their mouth before giving it back to their child is perfect example of the exchange of bacteria.
Tooth decay can also develop from frequent prolonged exposure to foods or drinks containing natural or added sugars. Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, or Early Childhood Caries which most often occurs in the upper front teeth, can happen when a baby is put to bed with a bottle filled with milk, formula, fruit juices, or other sweetened drinks. The sugar in those drinks feed the bacteria on the baby’s teeth and after numerous attacks, tooth decay begins. The good news is that tooth decay is preventable!

Here are some helpful tips for preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay from healthymouth.org:

  • Try not to share saliva with the baby through common use of feeding spoons or licking pacifiers. After each feeding, wipe your child’s gums with a clean, damp gauze pad or washcloth.
  • When your child’s teeth come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and a smear (or grain of rice sized amount) of fluoride toothpaste until the age of 3. 
  • Brush the teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste from the ages of 3 to 6.
  • Supervise brushing until your child can be counted on to spit and not swallow toothpaste—usually not before he or she is 6 or 7.
  • Place only formula, milk or breast milk in bottles. Avoid filling the bottle with liquids such as sugar water, juice or soft drinks.
  • Infants should finish their bedtime and nap time bottles before going to bed.
  • If your child uses a pacifier, provide one that is clean—don’t dip it in sugar or honey.
  • Encourage your child to drink from a cup by his/her first birthday.
  • Encourage healthy eating habits.
Prevention is key to good dental health for your child. The first dental appointment should be made at age 1 or when the first tooth appears. At the first dental appointment the hygienist will provide important information about caring for your child’s teeth and gums, proper use of fluoride, oral habits, including finger and thumb sucking and more.  
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