Pediatric dentists recommend cleaning your baby's gums after feedings from the get-go. Doing so helps fight bacterial growth and promotes good oral health long before baby's first teeth start to appear.
Breastfed Babies Can Still Get Cavities
That is why, breastfed or bottlefed, it's important to care for your baby's teeth from the start. A few days after birth, begin wiping your baby's gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth every day. Then, brush her teeth twice a day as soon as that first tooth emerges.
Feeding your child milk during the night, after brushing their teeth, can cause severe cavities on the front teeth. Although milk is essential for your child's development, it does contain small amounts of sugar and if fed during the night, your child's teeth are essentially being soaked in sugar overnight.
Tooth brushing tips for babies
Do it at least twice a day: just before bed and at another time that fits in with your routine. Not all children like having their teeth brushed, so you may have to keep trying. Make it into a game, or brush your own teeth at the same time and then help your child finish their own.
Offer a frozen wet washcloth or a wet washcloth wrapped around an ice cube. These may help numb the gums, allowing baby to latch and settle into the feeding before the gums become painful again. Do some hand expression before latching to get the milk flowing. It may help baby settle into feeding more quickly.
Your baby will begin teething sometime between 4-7 months. Some moms may find it hard to breastfeed when baby's teeth are coming in. That's because babies can experience discomfort when teething and will change their position or latch to avoid hitting their sore gums. Babies may also try to relieve soreness by biting.
Young breastfed babies need to feed regularly around the clock. It's not until they're closer to three months of age that many start sleeping for longer periods overnight.
Other tips and tricks for keeping your baby's teeth healthy
Naturally, toddlers and young children can't swish a mouth rinse or spit out excess toothpaste. Instead, you can give your child a sippy cup or bottle of water to drink after brushing their teeth.
They're just as prone to tooth decay, and tooth decay can lead to pain, gum disease, and even a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes as your child grows older. In addition to tooth decay, overlooking your baby's oral health can cause them to lose their baby teeth early.
Breast milk was found to be nearly identical to water in this study and did not cause tooth decay. In fact, in a follow-up study, it was found that breast milk actually made the teeth healthier! Almost all cavities in infants are caused because of supplemental foods, sugars and other substances besides breast milk.
Even before your baby's teeth come out you need to clean their mouth twice a day. Ideally you would do this once in the morning and once before bed. This is because mouths are superb breeding grounds for bacteria (warm and wet).
Wash your hands and wiggle the tooth back and forth with a clean tissue. If it's ready, gentle twisting will be necessary and the tooth will pop right out. Apply pressure to the area with a cotton pad if there is any bleeding. Bleeding should stop after a few minutes.
Before and after the teeth come in, clean your child's mouth after each feeding or at least twice a day. Place your child in a position that is comfortable for both of you. You should be able to see easily inside their mouth. Before teeth come in, use a clean gauze pad or soft cloth over your finger.
If there are not yet any teeth showing above the gum line, continue brushing the gums once a day. If there are one or multiple teeth showing, brush those teeth twice a day with a small smear of fluoride toothpaste on an infant toothbrush.
The waste is highly acidic and breaks down tooth enamel, causing root decay and cavities. When your child goes to bed without brushing, plaque starts to harden and calcify on their teeth. Once this has happened, it's not easy to remove without a proper teeth cleaning by a hygienist.
Dental neglect can be an indicator of general child neglect. Inadequately treated dental disease may have significant long-term impacts on the physical and psychological well-being of children.
Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Clean between your teeth daily using floss or interdental brushes. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and limit added sugar intake. Visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and preventative care.
If your child swallows a tiny bit of toothpaste, you have nothing to worry about. If your child swallows a bit more than that, they might get a stomach ache so be sure to give them something containing calcium, like yogurt or milk, to help ease their stomach since calcium binds with fluoride.
You do not need to begin brushing with a toothbrush or toothpaste until your infant's teeth begin to erupt, but you should be cleaning your baby's gums on a daily basis. The American Dental Association recommends cleaning your baby's gums regularly, beginning just a few days after birth.
Most babies can sleep from 7pm to 7am consistently between the ages of 6 to 9 months, as they learn to connect sleep cycles and develop self-soothing techniques.
The most common reason why newborns wake up at night is to eat. In the first few weeks of an infant's life, they are expected to wake up every two to three hours to eat. Newborns' stomachs are small, and they can only eat tiny amounts at a time.
Sleep experts agree that adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night to function properly. Newborns, however, sleep about 16-20 hours in a 24-hour cycle, but this sleep is disrupted with waking every 20 minutes to few hours - making it virtually impossible for a new mother to get those 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.