Infant Dental Health

If your child has problems with his/her teeth or gums and they cannot eat hard, cold or hot foods because it hurts too much, they may end up refusing many healthy foods.

This may not allow them to get the calories, protein, vitamins and minerals they need to grow and be healthy.

Causes of Cavities and Gum Disease

Bacteria and sugar cause cavities, not medications as some people may think. Cleaning the teeth and feeding your baby a diet low in sugar are the most important things you can do to prevent cavities. Feeding sugary drinks from the bottle may cause baby bottle tooth decay.

Prevention of Cavities and Gum Disease

Wipe our baby’s gums with a clean washcloth or gauze pad after each feeding and begin brushing your child’s teeth at least daily with a soft toothbrush and a pea-sized drop of fluoridated toothpaste when the first tooth erupts.

Baby bottle tooth decay can occur when your child sleeps with a bottle filled with sweetened drinks, like fruit juice, milk, or formula. Baby bottle tooth decay often occurs in the upper front teeth, but may also destroy other teeth.

Avoid sweetened drinks in the bottle at naptime or bedtime. When your child is asleep, there is less saliva to wash the sugar out of the mouth.  You can give your child a clean pacifier or a bottle filled with cool water instead. Offer a stuffed animal or blanket to replace the bottle at naptime and bedtime.

Introduce liquids from the cup between 6-9 months of age and wean your child from the bottle by age two.

Start regular dental visits between your child’s first and second birthday.  If you think your child has dental problems, take your child to the dentist as soon as possible.

Limit sweet and sticky snacks because they are more likely to cause cavities.