One of the most precious assets that anyone can have is their teeth. A smile can mean a lot of things like love, happiness, contentment and so much more. If you’re a parent, then you should know by now the importance of taking care of any and every tooth in your mouth.
Even babies needs their their gums taken cared of so that their teeth will grow nicely when they grow up. So here are 9 simple tips that you can use so that your and your baby’s teeth will have a good dental health:
Dental Tips
- Start cleaning the gums of your baby even before any sign of teeth. The foundation of good teeth is a well-maintained gum. You can clean your baby’s gums by wiping it after feeding. You can do this by using a wet warm washcloth and wrapping it around your fingers. This can take away any excess food in their mouths.
- Take care of the teeth as soon as possible. Although there are parents that doesn’t understand how important the milk tooth is, most dentists would suggest that this should be a top priority. By taking care of your baby’s first tooth, you can ensure that they will have healthy gums and properly aligned teeth.
- Avoid cavities. As soon as you notice any discoloration in your baby’s mouth or minor pitting you should act quickly. This is a sign of cavities and could potentially harm the mouth of your baby. Never let your baby sleep after drinking their milk without brushing their teeth and take away their milk bottle when you see them not feeding.
- Drink a lot of water after every meal. Water can easily take away food cavities in a baby’s mouth. Introducing them to toothbrush as early as they eat solid food is also a good way to make them feel accustomed to this.
- Only use toothpaste when they reach the age of 2. You should only let your baby use toothpaste when they reach the age of 2 or 3 years old. This way they won’t be able to swallow any of its ingredients.
- Let your baby get enough fluoride. Fluoride is important to ensure that your baby’s teeth will be protected from tooth decay. You can ask your local doctor for any fluoride supplements if they reach the age of 6 months. Tap water also has fluoride included in their system just for the benefit of tooth protection.
- Schedule an appointment with your local dentist. From age 1 to 3, your baby should start going regularly to the dentist. This will ensure that they will have good dental habits as they grow.
- Always clean your tongue and your baby’s. One of the major causes of bad breath is the bacteria that stay on the tongue. It’s important that you always clean the tongue of your baby so that they will have fresh breath.
- Eat an apple. Once of the most convenient ways to clean your teeth are to eat an apple. Remember the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctors away”? This is especially true if you want instant cleaning.