Dental Care Tips for your Baby

A set of healthy, sparking, clean, beautiful arranged teeth is everybody’s dream, which could be come true, if you take proper and regular care of your natural teeth. Dental health is a matter of life-long concern.

Whatever your age, you can and should have a healthy mouth and a pleasant smile. Your dental health is an important part of your general health. It is extremely important that you understand the basics of children’s dental and oral care, because at this stage of dental care you are going to lay down a healthy and a strong dental care for the future. With proper personal and professional care, you and your child can keep the permanent teeth for a lifetime, as nature intended. Proper dental care begins even before a baby's first tooth appears. Teeth actually begin to form in the during pregnancy period. At birth your baby has 20 primary teeth, some of which are fully developed in the jaw.

You should always clean your infant's gums after feeding. Gums should be wiped with a clean, damp cloth or gauze pad. Parents should brush children's teeth daily with a soft wet toothbrush and a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When children are very young it is necessary to supervise their brushing to ensure proper brushing habits are adopted.

Running a damp washcloth over your baby's gums following feedings can prevent buildup of damaging bacteria. Once your child has a few teeth showing, you can brush them with a soft child's toothbrush.

Even babies can have problems with dental decay when parents do not practice good feeding habits. Putting a baby to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth may be convenient in the short term — but it can harm the baby's teeth later. When the sugars from juice or milk remain on a baby's teeth for hours, they may eat away at the enamel, known as bottle mouth. Pocked, pitted, or discolored front teeth are signs of bottle mouth. Severe cases result in cavities and the need to pull all the front teeth until the permanent ones grow in.

Keep your child's toothbrush germ free. Many parents ignore cavities in baby teeth because they think that these baby teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth later. But it is important to make sure that even these temporary baby teeth remain healthy and cavity free.

·         Healthy baby teeth are crucial in helping the baby learn how to speak properly.

·         Healthy and nice looking teeth are important in building self-confidence and self-esteem. This is especially important at such an early age.

·         Baby teeth serve as spacers which maintain the proper spacing and alignment of the teeth so that permanent teeth have enough room to come in.

·         Baby teeth are important in proper feeding and nutrition.

So it is very crucial to note that the proper care of baby teeth is not only important now but for the future as well.

Early dental care gets a child accustomed to a clean cavity free mouth. Because children become accustomed to clean teeth they will continue with the proper habits to ensure this clean feeling in the future as well.

Poor dental care can easily lead to childhood periodontal disease. This is a condition in which bacteria invade the gums and ligaments supporting the teeth. Unchecked, periodontal disease can cause teeth to fall out and bone to erode, creating major problems for permanent teeth if and when they do come in.

Wipe a baby's mouth with a clean gauze pad or washcloth to remove plaque. If your child is old enough get them in the habit of brushing their own teeth but always remember to brush their teeth after they are finished brushing.

There are Five Golden Rules to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

·      Eat foods that have vitamins and minerals.

·       Don’t eat sweet or starchy foods between meals.

·       After every meal, brush your teeth. Your brush downwards on upper teeth, upwards on lower teeth, back and forth on chewing surfaces.

·       Visit your dental Surgeon at least twice a year.

Dental care should be considered a routine part of your normal living. A set of good healthy teeth is one of the main assets of your good grooming too, which help you to face the world with a confident pleasant smile!