Tips for Oral Care for your Infant
Today I have a guest blogger!
When both of my girls were born, I had some breastfeeding issues with each of them. Each time, within the few weeks of them being born, I took them to a lactation consultant because I had trouble keeping up with my supply. The lactation consultant said both times that she suspected my girls to have a lip, cheek or tongue tie and suggested I take them to a pediatric dentist for a follow up.
I brought my first born in to see Dr. Kasia Lindhorst at Heights Pediatric Dentistry (she also has an office a little more west called Smiles for Kids which I’ve gone to and is equally great). Dr. Lindhorst did a thorough exam and said she did not have a lip, cheek or tongue tie as the lactation consultant suspected. You would think I would have learned from that experience, but 3 years later, I came in with my second daughter for the same reason, and Dr. Adrien Theriot said the exact same thing. Turns out my supply just takes longer than normal to fully come in.
I’m forever grateful to both of them because I feel like it could have been an easy thing to say “yes, they have a tie and need a simple procedure to correct the problem” but they were very honest and forthcoming and said nothing needed to be done.
I cannot recommend their offices enough. The whole staff is so warm and welcoming and so great with kids. They are fully equiped to make it fun for kids with lots of great toys, ipads, prizes and all the things needed to distract the kiddos and make it a place they want to come to. My 4 year old looks forward to her visit every time! I know I’m in good hands every time I go.
Below is an article by Dr. Lindhorst about how to take care of your baby’s gum and incoming teeth in that first year. I hope you get some good info out of it!
From Toothless to the First Tooth: Oral Care for Infants Tips
Dr. Lindhorst and the staff at Smiles For Kids know that a great smile that can last a lifetime begins even before the baby teeth erupt! Cleaning the mouth is important even during infancy. Bacteria and germs can accumulate in the mouth regardless of age. Oral care for infants is not just about having healthy teeth but it is also about maintaining good overall health. We want our patients and parents to have happy checkups every six months instead of more frequent visits to repair damage to little teeth!
In order to clean the baby's mouth, start by gently wiping the gums with a wet washcloth or gauze after feeding. Do not worry about irritating the baby as infants are very focused on their mouths and most likely the baby will be tickled by massaging of the gums and find it soothing. This way you can get rid of excess sugar and of bacteria that can cause decay. It also gives the child an opportunity to get used to his or her teeth being brushed later on when the teeth start to appear.
Between the ages of six months to a year infants begin to sprout teeth. Once this happens, a small toothbrush or one made especially for infants can be used. By this time, the infant should be used to the feeling of his or her teeth being cleaned. Choose soft, rounded bristles to prevent the gums from being scratched and apply minimum pressure.
Initially, using water to brush the teeth is fine. However, the dentist may recommend the use of toothpaste later. Before 18 months of age, toothpaste should be free of fluoride, so called "training toothpaste". Even then, use a small amount because even pea-size recommended by the toothpaste makers, is more than necessary. Toothpastes come in various flavors and it might be appealing for the infant to eat it. Try to prevent this from happening and use as little toothpaste as possible because the ingestion of excess fluoride may not be healthy for the child. However, at about the age of 18 months, changing the toothpaste to one with fluoride is important for healthy development of permanent teeth and for cavity free baby teeth.
Brush the baby's teeth at least twice a day, but especially at night. One of the leading causes of oral problems in infants is "baby bottle" decay. Breast and cow milk, formulas and juices contain a lot of sugar that can speed up the development of cavities. The problem arises when the baby is too attached to the bottle at night and is used to falling asleep with it or is nursed multiple times at night once the teeth erupt. All the sugar in milk, formula or juice stays on the teeth all night long and facilitates development of cavities quickly. The enamel of baby teeth is much thinner than that of permanent teeth. Thus, decay can happen more quickly for the younger set. The enamel can be destroyed until the nerve is affected. When this happens, the infant can feel discomfort and pain because of the infected tooth.
Although baby teeth will eventually fall out, the proper oral care for infants is critically necessary. Experts agree that baby teeth should stay in the mouth for as long as possible as some are not scheduled to be replaced until twelve years of age. These initial teeth serve as guides for where the permanent teeth will grow and a space saver for the permanent teeth. If a tooth falls out too early, the surrounding teeth have enough room to tilt and move towards the gap left behind thus leaving no room for the permanent teeth. In addition pain and suffering as well as infections requiring medical visits and emergency room IV antibiotic treatments are possible if baby teeth have deep and persistent decay. Finally as we all know, treatment of decayed teeth requires cooperation from children and with young ones it might be a costly procedure involving sedation and high cost for the family. Therefore we highly encourage parents to start infant oral care from the earliest years and to visit a pediatric dentist by twelve months of age.
