Dental Care For Your Infant: What You Need To Know

Your baby doesn't yet have teeth, but the things you do and that you allow your baby to do can affect his or her teeth that are yet to come out. Your infant needs their teeth and gums cared for properly, even though they don't have any emerging teeth. Read on for dental care for your infant that you should know about to ensure your baby's teeth and gums stay healthy.

Wipe Your Baby's Gums

Wipe your baby's gums down with a warm washcloth to help keep your baby's gums clean and healthy and to remove a buildup of sugar that can accumulate from milk. You can wrap the cloth around your finger to do this, and it should be done nightly. Don't try to put too much of the cloth in your baby's mouth to prevent your baby from choking. Be sure to pay close attention to the tops of the gums, in addition to the sides. If your baby tries biting down onto the cloth, it may be because the pressure feels good on their gums and is most likely going to be teething soon.

Take The Bottle Away At Bedtime

It can be an easy habit to start, especially when it can very easily put your baby to sleep faster, but it's a terrible habit for your baby, and it can be very harmful to your baby's teeth. Your baby could end up with rotten teeth due to sleeping with a bottle and the milk sitting on their gums. Their adult teeth could even be affected by this. Never put your baby to sleep with a bottle. Even a pacifier should be taken away at bedtime, as it can harm your baby's teeth eventually.

Brush As Soon As Teeth Emerge

Once your baby's teeth begin to emerge, you should begin brushing your baby's teeth. Use a training toothbrush and a tiny amount of training toothpaste to brush these teeny tiny teeth. Brushing their teeth will help them learn about tooth brushing, and can also ensure your baby's teeth are getting as clean as they can be. Training toothpaste doesn't need to be rinsed and you are only using a very small amount. Talk to your pediatric dentist about using training toothpaste for your baby.

Your infant needs dental care, even if they don't have teeth emerging just yet. Your baby's gums still need care and those teeth laying in wait will remain healthy if you care for your baby's gums properly. Talk to your baby's pediatric dentist specialist about other dental health tips for your baby.