The first years of a baby are the most complicated for parents. First word, first smile, first time solid food and first time crawling are all the milestones for parents to keep track of. Emergence of the first tooth is a crucial part of a baby’s life. A lot of parents around the globe wonder when to start brushing their baby’s teeth and how it should be done in order not to hurt a baby.
Parent’s hearts might melt when they see signs of little teeth popping through the gum but the majority of them do not know how to protect these little teeth for the purpose of maintaining proper dental health. This article is aimed to provide recommendations for parents in terms of maintaining proper oral health of their babies. And if you need additional tips, be sure to visit http://www.dds4childrenpearland.com/ for more.
When to Start Brushing Baby Teeth?
Caring for the oral health of a baby should start way earlier than most parents think. Dentists say that there is no need to wait until the first has emerged above the gum line. When a baby does not have any teeth at all and their mouth is just a gummy smile, parents should make use of soft cloth to wipe their gums. This action needs to be performed for the purpose of removing bacteria. This step also assists in preventing damage to the baby teeth as they begin to arise. It will also help to get your baby accustomed to have their mouth brushed.
Dentists claim that parents should brush their baby’s teeth at least twice a day as soon as they see first teeth appearing above the gum line. Brushing should be performed after the first meal and before the bed. By making use of this recommendation you will avoid allowing food to sit in your baby’s mouth overnight. After a number of baby teeth have emerged, it is a good time to switch from washcloth to child-sized brush with soft bristles in order not to hurt baby’s gum.
This dentist who does dental implants in San Leandro CA also adds that once there are two teeth touching each other, it’s best to start flossing your baby’s teeth as well.
How to Properly Brush Baby Teeth?
As was mentioned above, before the baby teeth have emerged parents can start brushing baby’s gum with washcloth and some water. Parents need to gently wipe all around the gum and make sure to get under the lip area in order to reduce bacteria.
After your baby has a number of baby teeth it is a perfect time to progress to child-sized brushes. When utilizing a child-sized brush, parents should make gentle circles on the front, back and top surfaces of all teeth and along the gum line. Parents should also make use of toothpastes designed specially for babies. These toothpastes are designed specifically for babies as they do not contain teeth whitening components that can potentially damage the enamel of baby teeth. You should encourage your child to try brushing their teeth by themselves in order for them to understand that this is a very important step in maintaining good oral hygiene.
The American Dental Association recommends using fluoride toothpaste as it is safe and effective for your children. However, it is extremely important to use it in moderate amounts. Even if a baby consumes some amount of fluoride it will not have any negative effects. ADA emphasizes on the fact that extreme consumption of fluoride might result in an upset stomach.
Dentists also add that excessive amounts of fluoride consumption can also damage tooth enamel. Having this in mind, it is not recommended to use fluoride toothpaste until the first tooth has appeared above the gum line. In addition to that, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends using a small fluoride toothpaste that is the size of a grain of rice. When you baby starts realizing the process, parents should encourage their babies to spit out the toothpaste and avoid swallowing it. Specialists state that children should not swallow any toothpaste after the age of 3.
How to Encourage Babies to Brush Their Teeth?
A lot of parents face the problem of their babies hating to clean their teeth. Specialists have prepared a list of tricks that might help parents during the process of brushing their baby’s teeth. These recommendations are as follows:
1. Try singing a special brushing song in order to help these 2 minutes pass by quickly. There numerous brushing songs available on the Internet. Parents can also set up a visual timer commuting down until teeth brushing is over.
2. As an option, parents can brush their teeth with their kids. This will certainly make the brushing process more fun for babies and encourage them to perform the same action. This should be done until your child cleans their teeth by themselves.
3. Parents can also reward their babies for brushing their teeth. A reward will inspire babies to clean their teeth by themselves. However, you need to make sure that your kid does not get used to it. Therefore, as your kid ages, decrease the number of times you give the reward.
How to Choose the Right Toothbrush?
The age of your baby and the number of teeth they have play a crucial role in choosing the right method of keeping their mouth clean. As was mentioned above, if your baby does not have any teeth yet, parents should make use of a washcloth. It will prepare your babies for having something cleaning their mouth and also swipe the bacteria off their gums.
Once the first teeth start emerging, you baby should get engaged in more in-depth dental hygiene through brushes and toothpastes. There are a lot of child-sized brushes developed specifically for babies. They come in fun shapes and can be also offered during playtimes as a toy without any toothpaste on them. Parents should carefully select the right toothpaste for the baby teeth. There are toothpastes that are made specifically for baby teeth. Regular toothpastes should not be applied to baby teeth as they contain teeth whitening components that can damage the enamel of baby teeth.
Baby toothbrushes have soft bristles and a smaller head that can fit better into the crevices and books of the baby’s mouth. As was already mentioned, they come in different shapes and colors in order to be more appealing to your baby. Even if your baby likes the process of brushing their teeth, parents should still be involved in the process. In this way, parents can ensure that the eternity of the mouth is cleaned and the baby does not hurt the gum.
To summarize the aforementioned, it should be said that practicing proper oral hygiene of a baby should start way earlier than the majority of parents think. Before any teeth emerge, parents should make use of washcloth for the purpose of cleaning the gums of their babies. By doing this, you can ensure that you wipe off any bacteria from the mouth.
Once your baby has a number of baby teeth, parents should make use of child-sized brushes and toothpastes. These brushes are made in different shapes and colors in order to be more appealing to a baby. Dentists emphasize on the fact that it is not allowed to brush their baby’s teeth with toothpastes designed for adults. The main reason for that is that these toothpastes contain teeth whitening components that can damage baby’s teeth enamel.
Brushing your baby’s teeth is not an easy procedure. However, it is highly important to maintain proper oral hygiene in early stages. You will be grateful for your hard work and patience when your baby will have a sparkling smile later in life.
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