5 Best Tips to Maintain the Oral Health of Your Newborn Baby

At first, babies would just be drooling until you realize that their tooth buds are popping. As you enjoy seeing how these small white spots popping up, you should also think of how to care for their teeth. For the next months and years, you will observe how the baby’s teeth will be completed. After a few years, it will start to be replaced one by one.

You should consider the fact that baby teeth are very important. The baby’s health also depends on their teeth. Whenever they experience trouble chewing their food, their health may be affected. The amount of nutrition your kid will get also depends on his or her food. This is why it is very important for you to take care of his or her teeth. One of your responsibilities as a parent is to ensure that your baby’s teeth are decay-free. Along with that is taking him for regular check-ups; visit the Dentist in Pearland for further medical attention if necessary. Here are some of the things you can do to be able to achieve this:

• Don’t leave the bottle in your baby’s mouth

There are a lot of instances when parents do not remember to take the bottle after the baby falls asleep. This is not a good practice. While the baby sleeps and the bottle is still in the mouth, this may result in building of cavities and tooth decay. There are also some parents who are making use of the bottle to sooth the baby. However, this is not a good thing to do. The milk from the bottle may stay in the teeth and gums. When this happens, expect tooth decay to happen.

• Watch for cavities

For you to be able to do this, you have to watch out for the signs of cavities in babies. This includes minor pitting and discoloration. This is also one of the results when you leave the baby with the bottle in the mouth as he or she sleeps. This is especially when the content of the bottle is milk or juice.

• Get soft and moistened washcloth or piece of gauze for teeth cleaning

Even before the baby’s teeth are out, you can already clean his or her mouth with a washcloth. This can be done easily and it can also help lessen the buildup of cavities. You can do this daily with the use of soft wet washcloth. You can do this anytime but make sure that you are also doing this as part of a routine. This way, the baby will be able to get used to it.

• No sweet drinks for babies

There are different types of foods that are not allowed to be eaten by babies while they are still below 12 months. They are not allowed to eat just anything that adults can consume. Sweet beverages are not good for them. This includes sweet juices and sweet milk. With this, you have to make sure that you are giving them just the right food and drinks. This way, you will be able to take care of their teeth.

• Follow meals with water

Babies need a specific amount of water throughout the day. This is very important to remember not only for their hydration but also in keeping the mouth free from cavities. After a meal, you should give water to the baby. This will help you wash the baby’s teeth. Water can help them become healthy and free from tooth decay.

When Should You See a Dentist?

Children’s dental care and checkups are also necessary for babies. With that, here are the instances when you need to bring your baby to a dentist:

• Brown spots or pits on the teeth

When you see brown spots on the teeth of the baby, it can be cavities. This is something that is not normal among babies. You may find this on the top of the teeth. It can also be on the sides or even on the spot near the gums. If you observe this, you should consider going to the dentist because this cannot be eliminated by mere brushing. This is one of the indications of tooth decay. It can be caused by different factors such as poor dental habits. To be able to stop the ongoing decay, dental checkups are necessary.

• Baby tooth decay

There are different stages of tooth decay. At first, you will observe that there will be white spots that may start forming in different areas of the teeth that are affected. This implies the start of the breaking down of the enamel. The second stage of tooth decay among babies would be obvious as the cavities start to turn light brown. This is not an early stage that may lead to the cavity becoming deeper. As it goes deeper, it may appear to become black or brown. The help of a dentist in determining the proper way of dealing with this problem is very important. You should consider visiting as early as when you observe the formation of cavities.

• Teething pain

Teething pain is something that happens when the baby’s tooth is about to erupt. This causes discomfort and pain in the gum area. This can be very uncomfortable and painful for the baby. You will notice that when the baby is teething, an area in the gum tissue is a bit swollen. This is because the tooth is now moving beneath the surface. At this point, the pain may be very difficult to bear. The child may experience pain in the gum or in the jaw area. You will also notice how your child’s behavior changes as this happens. Asking the dentist about the perfect remedy will certainly help you deal with the problem.

Every baby is special and they require a lot of care from their parents. This is why you should also be able to determine the pain or the condition they are experiencing. Maintaining their oral health is just one of the ways to ensure overall health. Looking at the different tips, there are simple things that can help you do this. Firstly, make sure that the baby is perfectly healthy. Breast milk is still best for them and it can also be the best way to lessen the mouth exposure to the bottle. Water is essential not only for their teeth to remain clean but also for their overall health.

Babies are in their fragile and vulnerable state. This is also why they should be given natural food. This is also one way to care for their teeth. Their health should be the priority especially now that they are still very vulnerable and they require so much attention.