As a parent, we know that you are well aware that establishing good oral hygiene habits is important in the lives of your children. Did you know that good oral health starts before your child even gets his or her first tooth? There are many things that as parents, we can do to ensure that those first teeth come in healthy and last a lifetime.
BEFORE THE FIRST TOOTH
Before your child has teeth, taking care of their oral health can seem a little silly, but it is an important part of good oral development. Beginning at birth, after each feeding use a damp wash cloth to gently rub your infant’s gums and tongue.
Not only does this help eliminate bacteria in your baby’s mouth, it begins to teach your baby that brushing after a meal is a normal part of daily life. As your baby grows and begins to eat baby food, continue to use the wash cloth to scrub the gums after eating.
There are also starter tooth brushes available for purchase that has little, soft, rubber nubs instead of bristles. These are helpful for not only establishing good oral habits and cleansing the mouth, but they can also come in handy when your child is teething. Gently rubbing the gums helps to relieve some of the pain of teething in addition to cleaning the mouth.
Another very important milestone in your child’s oral development is their first trip to the dentist. We like to see your child before their first birthday, whether his or her teeth have erupted or not. At their first exam, we will not only look at the teeth that may be there, we’ll check to make sure that things below the gum line are progressing on schedule. Give our office a call today and schedule that first check-up, we look forward to seeing you soon!
