back to Preventative HYGIENE
Children are a precious possession.
An early start in regular dental care
is an important step on the road
to total health.
 First, or "baby", teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. But that doesn't mean they are any less important. During the critical early years of life, your child needs his or her first teeth to eat and to learn to speak properly. Healthy teeth are important to appearance and that's important for developing a good self image. The future health of your child's permanent teeth depends on care and habits you establish for first teeth.
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Preventative HYGIENE
for INFANTS
Brushing and Flossing your child's first teeth
TOOTHBRUSHES
A small mouth needs a small toothbrush.
Your dentist may recommend a particular kind, but. in general, the bristles should be straight across and soft with rounded ends. Children are hard on
tooth brushes. When the bristles are bent or frayed, they cannot do a good job and may injure the gums. Children need new toothbrushes every three or four months. Toothbrushes that seem to wear out quickly may be a sign of brushing too hard.
TEAM WORK!
LOCATION
The bathroom is often small and frequently has many sharp I projections from appliances and cabinets.
A bedroom, family or living room, a kitchen or any place where both the parent and the i child con be comfortable is often a preferable location for cleaning the child's teeth.
TOOTHPASTE
You may have to experiment to find a toothpaste your child likes.
Just make sure it contains fluoride as recognized by the Canadian Dental Association. Don't use much (a quarter of an inch or half a centimetre) because small children swallow about half the toothpaste. |
Infant Dental Care
- Up to Age 2
While your child's first tooth is the signal for regular cleaning you may want to start routine oral hygiene literally from Day 1.
This has three benefits: it gets both parent and infant into the habit, it ensures that the first teeth have a clean environment to come into and it may stimulate the gums and ease teething.
Some infants find the process stimulating, and it may be difficult to get them to sleep afterwards. Clean during playtime, not immediately before bed.
It takes just a few seconds. Have your child lie comfortably on your lap, on the floor, on the changing table - wherever it's convenient.
Make sure you can see into your child's mouth. Brush or wipe all around your baby's gums and teeth, with a soft baby brush or your finger wrapped in a damp washcloth or gauze.
Parent sitting on a chair or
both positioned on the floor
Before your child has teeth, you don't need toothpaste.
When the teeth start to erupt, use a small amount of fluoride toothpaste - a dab is plenty.
The idea is to wipe all the surfaces of the teeth, as well as the gums. It's simple and quick at this stage - there aren't very many teeth to do! |
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Nursing bottle decay occurs when the enamel is dissolved by the constant "washing" of acid over the teeth. Acid is formed each time sugar enters the mouth and mixes with the bacteria normally present there. This acid attack may lost thirty minutes and leads to rapid decay and often to painful dental abscesses.
WHAT FLUIDS CAUSE NURSING BOTTLE DECAY?
Any sweetened drink in a bottle such as soft drinks, orange and apple juice and the sugar powdered mixed drinks; even plain or concentrated milk break down in the mouth to form lactic acid in the
presence of mouth bacteria.
WHEN DOES NURSING BOTTLE DECAY OCCUR?
Baby teeth that come in dark or discoloured may be the first sign that a problem exists. Nursing bottle decay con occur from one to four years of age. A similar problem con be produced by honey or sugar-dipped soothers used during this critical age. Daytime "security" bottles also produce dental decoy but the bottle in bed is most damaging to your child. The night bottle is often the last one to be given up and may be used well post the normal bottle stage of 12 to 18 months.
WHY DOES NURSING BOTTLE DECAY OCCUR?
The high concentration of "sweet" fluid washing over the upper front teeth subjects them to the maximum acid attack thus causing early decay. The lower front teeth are protected for a short time because the tongue extends over them during sucking.
As the child drifts from deep to light sleep he makes rhythmic sucking movements. This fills the mouth with a fresh supply of sugary liquid that soon becomes acid.
Saliva helps wash away food particles and neutralize acid produced by mouth bacteria. During sleep, less saliva is produced and so its protective effect is less than when the child is active.
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Newly erupted baby teeth have not yet become completely hardened and so are more easily dissolved (decayed) by the action of acid produced by mouth bacteria.
WHAT CAN I DO IF MY CHILD HAS NURSING BOTTLE DECAY?
The bottle containing sweetened contents MUST be removed from the child's diet, otherwise dental treatment will be in vain. If the child uses a soother it will not produce decay unless it is dipped in sweet substances.
Have the child's teeth examined by a dentist and repaired. It is not acceptable to "wait and see". The problem must be treated immediately to prevent abscesses and possible hospitalization. When the teeth ore repaired the dentist and hygienist will help mother to maintain the teeth in a healthy state.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WEANING THE CHILD FROM THE NIGHT BOTTLE.
Do not take the bottle away initially as it would be too upsetting to the child. Rather, replace the bottle contents with pure top water. The child will often give up the bottle in disgust. If this does not happen
remove the water bottle after the third night and allow a favourite toy to come to bed with the child for a few nights. Some children may cry for up to 20 minutes before falling asleep and carry this on for 3 to 4 nights before settling into their new routine. They should not be disturbed during this crying behaviour.
It is absolutely necessary to eliminate the bottle to prevent further decay and pain. If nursing bottle decay is diagnosed and treated early, the second teeth will not be affected. |
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