Caring for your little ones teeth
Tooth development of your baby actually starts when they are still in the womb, around the sixth week of your pregnancy and by the time they are born the crowns of their baby teeth are already finished.
You can normally see their first tooth between six months olds and 8 months old. You can normally tell when they are about to get their first tooth as they will start dribbling a lot and they will be putting their hands in their mouths a lot, wanting to chew things. This is when dribble bibs come in very handy, as do chew toys. Your little one also might enjoy chewing on very cold things so some chew toys can be popped in the freezer which will be soothing on their sore gums.
Oral hygiene for your little one begins at birth. Even though they dont have teeth you can get them used to cleaning their gums with a soft cloth. You can get them in to a routine twice a day when you wash their face and hands; it will be easy to include a gentle rub of their gums too.
As soon as you see a tooth you can start really taking care of their teeth. Dentists suggest that you will want to brush your babys teeth every evening after eating. Make sure you use a baby toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. You will only need to use the smallest smear of toothpaste as your baby wont really understand the concept of brushing and will probably try and chew and suck on the toothbrush.
The easiest way to brush your childs teeth is to sit them on your lap with their head resting against your chest. Brush the teeth in small circles and encourage your child to spit out the toothpaste afterwards. The easiest way for them to learn this is to watch mummy or daddy brushing and spitting. Most little ones love copying you so use this to your advantage!
Make sure you brush your childs teeth until they are at least school age as it is easy for them to miss teeth, especially at the back and you want to make sure that all their teeth are well brushed and clean.
Another way of looking after your childrens teeth is limiting the amount of sugar they have. Avoid sugary drinks. Babies will only need milk and water.
When your child is a little older make sure they dont have sugary drinks like juice in a sippy cup or bottle as this can increase tooth decay and if you choose to give your child juice make sure it is at mealtimes so the saliva they produce while eating will help kill off the harmful sugars.
Hopefully these healthy teeth protecting tips will ensure they not only have healthy milk teeth but they will have habits that will keep their adult teeth healthy and shiny too!
