As your child grows up, it is extremely important to take care of their smile as well as teach them how to care for their own smile, even before their first tooth erupts. There are four major things you can do to help your child grow into the healthy smile they deserve, and those four things are:
Bring your child in for their first checkup
Your child’s first dental appointment is very important. When you
bring your child into our office, our dental team will be able to create
a life-long relationship with your child, which will help your child feel
more comfortable in the dental chair in the future. This appointment will
also give you the chance to ask your dentist any questions you have about
your child’s dental care.
Teach your child about oral hygiene
You can teach your child good oral hygiene habits even before their first
tooth grows in. You can gently brush your child’s gums with a toothbrush
and water or you can clean the gums with a washcloth. When your child’s
teeth appear, brush them twice a day and begin flossing when two of their
teeth have touched each other. As your child gets older, teach them to
brush every morning and every night, floss once a day, and rinse their
mouth with child-approved mouthwash.
Avoid Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Many parents don’t know that their baby’s bottles can easily
create tooth decay, but it’s true. Please do your best to avoid
putting your child to sleep with a bottle of juice, formula, or milk.
The sugary liquids will cling to your child’s teeth and they will
cause cavities. To help avoid this situation, you can put your child to
sleep with a bottle of water and you can encourage them to drink from
a regular cup throughout the day.
Control the use of a sippy cup
A sippy cup can help your child transition from drinking out of a bottle
into a cup, but try not to let your child drink from the sippy cup all
day. Using a sippy cup too much can lead to tooth decay on the back of
the front teeth if the liquid they are drinking is sugary.
Call our office today if you want to learn more about your child’s dental care or to schedule your child’s first dental appointment. We are so excited to help your child grow into the smile they will love for a lifetime!