Your precious infant will be growing before your own eyes! As your child’s smile is developing here is some advice to keep it sparkling.

Your child should visit a pediatric dentist by the age of 1. Establishing a dental home for you and your child will allow you to get answers to your questions, be prepared for an emergency and start a preventative program so your child can be cavity free.

The first tooth usually appears around 6-7 months. Once your child gets her first tooth, brushing should become part of the normal routine. Brush your child’s teeth two times a day, once in the morning and after the last feeding in the evening. A small smear of fluoridated toothpaste can be used to help protect these new teeth.

Taking Care of your Oral Health

Research has shown links between periodontal disease in expecting mothers and adverse outcomes in pregnancy including preterm deliveries, low birth weight babies and pre-eclampsia. Taking care of your oral health will directly benefit your unborn baby. Here are some tips to follow:

Brush at least 2 times a day with a fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. Rinse daily with an antibacterial mouthrinse.
Morning sickness and vomiting can damage your teeth. Don’t brush immediately after vomiting instead rinse your mouth with water and wait one hour before you brush.
Sweet cravings and frequent snacking will increase your risk of decay–brush after eating sugary snacks.
See your dentist for routine care. Dental treatment can be safely done during pregnancy.

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Bacteria

You should know that cavities are caused by bacteria. Babies are not born with this bacteria. Caregivers can actually pass cavity causing bacteria when they share spoons or clean pacifiers with their own mouth. Caregivers should take good care of their own mouth to reduce the bacteria and limit activities where saliva can be shared with a baby.

Feeding is your baby’s favorite time of day!

Whether nursing or bottle feeding, remember to wipe his/her gums and brush his/her teeth with a wet toothbrush or cloth. NEVER put your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or let your baby fall asleep nursing. Baby bottle tooth decay is a common problem and milk stored in a baby’s mouth while he/she sleeps contributes to this. Bottles should be filled with milk or juice only during meal time. Between meals give your baby a bottle filled with water.

If your child is having difficulty latching when nursing she may need to be evaluated for a frenectomy. A frenectomy is indicated when the child’s tongue has limited mobility due to a muscle attachment. This simple procedure can be done in a pediatric dental office. Discuss any nursing difficulties first with a lactation consultant.

BABY TEETH ERUPTION PATTERN

Image of the upper teeth

	ERUPT	SHED
Central Incisor	8 – 12 mos.	6 – 7 yrs.
Lateral Incisor	9 – 13 mos.	7 – 8 yrs.
Canine (Cuspid)	16 – 22 mos.	10 – 12 yrs.
First Molar	13 – 19 mos.	9 – 11 yrs.
Second Molar	25 – 33 mos.	10 – 12 yrs.

Image of the lower teeth

	ERUPT	SHED
Second Molar	23 – 31 mos.	10 – 12 yrs.
First Molar	14 – 18 mos.	9 – 11 yrs.
Canine (Cuspid)	17 – 23 mos.	9 – 12 yrs.
Lateral Incisor	10 – 16 mos.	7 – 8 yrs.
Central Incisor	10 – 16 mos.	6 – 7 yrs.

ERUPTION PATTERN

As teeth begin to erupt, it is common for babies to experience sore or tender gums. Here are some tips to help soothe your baby:

Habits

Pacifiers, thumb and finger Sucking are a natural reflex and necessary for feeding; however prolonged sucking habits can cause problems with growth and development and the tooth alignment of permanent teeth. Children should stop using pacifiers by the age of 2-3 and stop sucking their fingers or thumb by age 3-4. If you and your child find this challenging, we have several tools and tips that we can provide to make it a success.

Diet

Tooth decay can begin as soon as teeth come in, but can be prevented with good oral care. It is important to establish healthy eating habits to help keep your child cavity free. Breast milk, formula, and even natural juices all contain sugar; this is why we advise parents to never put your child to bed with a bottle or sippy cup containing anything except water. Limit sugar exposure by giving these drinks at meal time only. Limit between meal snacks, and encourage your child to drink water throughout the day.

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