Baby Dental Care
When Sayle started teething like a shark I started to become concerned with his dental hygiene. During my last visit I talked with my dentist about Sayle’s teeth and the best way to keep his new chompers healthy.
This big gap between my teeth is a good thing-plus it makes me even cuter!
Since I cannot technically brush Sayle’s teeth I wipe his mouth out with a washcloth after he finishes a bottle. This helps keep his teeth clean and keeps the sugar from his formula from just sitting on his teeth. My dentist told me there are also little sponges you can purchase if you don’t want to use a washcloth to wipe your baby’s mouth out. This also starts building good habits to clean up after eating that hopefully your child will continue into adulthood.
I was encouraged to let Sayle chew on a baby toothbrush since his teeth are too small to brush. Sayle has become rather uncooperative while on the changing table so this is when I take the opportunity to hand him the toothbrush-it works like a charm. The first thing he does is stick the toothbrush in his mouth to chew it, which keeps him distracted while I change him. It is a complete win-win situation!
Toothpaste is a no-no at this age, unless you purchase toothpaste without fluoride such as Tom’s Toothpaste. If babies are over exposed to fluoride they can have marks on their baby teeth and fluorosis (health condition in children caused by receiving too much fluoride during teeth development). Keep in mind most tap water has fluoride in it, which is why it is important to mix bottles with filtered or bottle water. It is appropriate to give your children toothpaste with fluoride when they can spit while brushing.
If your baby goes down with a bottle like Sayle does, it is important to start giving them water rather than formula, juice, or Pedialyte. These liquids are so full of sugar, can you imagine what they do to a baby’s teeth over night? Ultimately, it is best to not allow your child to go down with a bottle as that can cause bottle rot, but if you have to then give them water.
I also asked my dentist about the gap between Sayle’s front teeth. My husband and I both had to wear braces so we are prepared to slap some metal on Sayle’s teeth when he gets older, but I was surprised that his baby teeth were coming in gapped. I was thrilled to find out that it is actually a good thing if baby teeth come in with spaces in-between them. Permanent teeth are much bigger than baby teeth, so the gaps actually show that there will be room in the future for those adult teeth!
Finally, it is suggested that your baby should see a dentist around one year old. My dentist said I didn’t have to schedule an appointment; she would just look in Sayle’s mouth next time I was there to check things out. Check with your dentist before your next appointment as some dentists prefer to not see infants and toddlers.
Thanks for the info, Brooke! I hope Isaac’s teeth come in soon because he has been teething, slobbering, drooling, and yelling about it for months now (:
No problem Sarah!! Isaac needs to go ahead and cut some teeth!! If he is going to have all those symptoms for so long, those teeth need to show some action! Watch-he will get 5 at once. Nevermind, I won’t curse you.