Cleaning & Brushing Baby Teeth

Something that is really hard to keep up on with babies is their oral hygiene. It's something that you don't really think about. Especially if they're not even eating sweets, but it's important anyway.

It's recommended that you start 'brushing' a baby's gums at birth. This is done with a wash cloth on your finger, and you just gently run it over their gums. This will help when your child gets older, and isn't as happy about having their teeth brushed. If you've made a habit of this, they are much less likely to refuse to let you brush.

My dentist told me to start brushing Harper's teeth as soon as they came through. So, I bought her a tooth brush and waited. I must admit, though, now that she has teeth, it's hard to remember to do. I leave the tooth brush beside her changing table so that I can see it, and it's a reminder to do it. I've done it enough now, that she doesn't refuse to let me do it. He also told me that it needs to be done twice a day. I've definitely not done that very often, but I strive to get it done once a day.

He also told me not to use tooth paste until she's old enough that I'm confident that she can spit it all out, and won't swallow it. Usually around age 3 or so. You can, however, buy some brands of tooth paste that are organic and totally safe for them to swallow, if you would be happier using some kind of tooth paste. For you Grand Mananers, you can get it at the Grand Isle.

A tooth paste with fluoride in it is recommended, after they are old enough to spit, especially if you live in an area without fluoride treated water.

A lot of people think that it's not a big deal if baby teeth rot. In reality, decay can spread from one tooth to the next very easily, and it wouldn't be good for decay to spread from a baby tooth to a permanent one!

So far, we only have 2 teeth to speak of. They're not too difficult to clean, thankfully! It's just hard to remember to do! It is recommended that your child have their first visit to the dentist about 6 month after their first tooth comes through. Usually that means just over a year old for most kids. For the most part, it's a check on how teeth are coming in and to make sure they're being taken care of.

There is so much information on the internet about dental hygiene with kids, but I'll point you to where I got much of my information, the Canadian Dental Association.

I know when I was a kid, and even teenager, I was pretty slack on my dental hygiene, but I hope that I can help Harper develop good habits. I regret not taking better care of my teeth sooner! Good oral health is linked to less disease and disability later in life!

Peek a boo teeth! 

Comments

  1. Her baby blues, so beautiful!!!!!

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