Tag Archives: baby teeth

Toothbrushing for Babies

When should you start cleaning your baby’s teeth?

© Tubes N Tonsils

It is a good idea to start cleaning your baby’s mouth even before the eruption of his first deciduous tooth. You can simply wrap a gauze or a wet cloth around your finger and rub it gently over the gums and tongue. This will help remove the milk residue which is left on the tongue surface. Even before tooth eruption, bacteria is present in the baby’s mouth but it usually doesn’t harm the gums. But we cant decide for certain when the baby’s tooth is emerging from the gums. Therefore cleaning the baby’s mouth will protect the erupting tooth from being damaged by the bacteria. This will also make an easier transition into toothbrushing when the child grows. You will have to brush your baby’s teeth until he can hold a toothbrush on his own, which is at 5 to 7 years of age because his motor development has not completed.https://www.intelligentdental.com/category/baby-teeth-2/

The first deciduous teeth start to appear around 6 months of age but sometimes delayed until 15 to 18 months in some healthy babies. You will have to choose a suitable baby toothbrush to brush your baby’s teeth. In the early stages, toothpaste is not necessary because children tend to swallow the toothpaste. Toothpaste contains fluoride, a substance when ingested in large amounts will cause a condition known as fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is common in children between 1 to 4 years old because teeth development is rapid at this stage.

It is important to regularly clean your baby’s teeth. Brush the teeth gently on both the outside and inside surfaces. Just a few strokes of the will do. Vigorous brushing will damage the immature enamel of the baby teeth.Do it twice a day.

Here are some tips on how to make toothbrushing for babies easier, more affective and interesting:

1. Brush with the child

Stick a toothbrush into your mouth while teaching your child to brush his own teeth. Children love to imitate their parents. And once you get him to hold a toothbrush, teach him the proper way to brush and the appropriate amount and type of toothpaste to use.

2. Choose the right toothbrush

Your baby’s toothbrush should be appropriate with his age and is usually indicated on the packaging.Baby’s toothbrush should have soft bristles and a small head which allows to reach all parts of his mouth.The handle should be thick for a firm grip. Replace the toothbrush every 3 months or after the bristles have started to spread out. Find a toothbrush which looks appealing to the child, with conspicuous color, interesting shapes and animal prints.

3. Choose the appropriate toothpaste

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that fluoridated toothpaste should only be used on children above 2 years old. You should let your child use only a pea sized amount of paste each time he brushes and make sure he spits it out. Swallowing too much toothpaste over time can cause fluoride toxicity and dental fluorosis. Choose children’s toothpaste which comes in various yummy fruity flavors.

4. Make toothbrushing interesting

Children tend to throw tantrum or get cranky when asked to brush his teeth. You can tell a tooth story or bring his toys into the washroom to grab his attention. After all, children love stories and pampering!

Toothbrushing techniques for children with down syndrome

Tooth Brushing

Tooth brushing is indeed a vital daily activity for a good oral health.  Besides that, tooth brushing protects the teeth against dental caries and it also helps prevent bad breath and gum disease. Gum disease is a fatal condition as it may lead to serious diseases. Therefore tooth brushing is important in children and special attention is needed to be given to those with disabilities. Continue reading →

What are the teething signs in babies?

When will my baby start teething?

The process of teething often follows hereditary patterns, so if the parents teethed early or late, your baby may follow the same pattern. However, the most babies have their first teeth come in when they are between 4 and 7 months old. In rare cases, a baby’s first tooth is visible at birth. We call this kind of teeth as neonatal teeth. Those teeth that emerge through the gum during the first month of life are called as natal teeth. Rarely, their presence is just one of several unusual physical findings which make up a syndrome. If the possibility of a syndrome exists, consultation with a pediatrician and/or geneticist can be helpful. The tooth is often loose and is commonly removed prior to the baby’s hospital discharge to prevent aspiration into the lungs. It is good to mention about teething during prenatal counseling because it most likely will be the first postnatal oral issue that parents confront. Continue reading →

Common Questions asked about baby’s erupting teeth

baby teethWhat is teeth eruption

  1. Teeth eruption is the process during which teeth grow through the jaw bone and pierces the gum and the tooth enters into the mouth.
  2. Teeth eruption happens for both baby teeth eruption and permanent teeth eruption.
  3. Teeth eruption occurs all throughout our lives, this is because teeth in the mouth are always moving and never stagnant. However, the movements are of course very small. Continue reading →

How do baby’s teeth grow?

baby teethThis diagram  shows the first baby teeth growing in the mother’s uterus

So, how do baby’s teeth grow ? The baby teeth actually starts growing during the 6th week  in the mothers uterus. These baby teeth growth starts with the Bell shape tooth germ. This Bell shape structure seen is actually the enamel organ, which will eventually grow into a baby teeth. As you can see the enamel organ or tooth germ contains numerous cells. These cells will continue to grow and differentiate into different and more advance cells to form the tooth. The outer and inner enamel organ eventually forms the outer casing of the tooth called the enamel layer. Where else the dental papilla cells will form the inner section of the tooth known as the pulp chamber. The permanent tooth  bud will continue to grow into the permanent teeth after the baby  tooth eruption is completed in the mouth.

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Top 10 foods or drinks that strengthen tooth enamel naturally

© WebMD

Tooth enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in our body; however it does not mean that it is immune to its surroundings. Nutrition, diet and oral health are closely linked to each other. You need healthy teeth to chew and take in nutrition from food, and nutrition is essential for the growth, development, and maintenance of the structures and tissues in the mouth. Continue reading →

Dental care for babies

Baby Toothbrush_BlueTeething Babies

Teething is a natural phenomenon that usually occurs with little or no problems. Nevertheless, some infants or teething babies exhibit signs of stress or complications  which includes rising of temperature, diarrhea, dehydration, increased salivation, skin eruptions and stomach disturbances. Increased fluid consumption, a non aspirin analgesic and palliative are consisting of the use of teething rings to apply cold and pressure to the affected areas generally reduce the symptoms and results in happier babies. Do not try to puncture or lance the gum tissues to aid the eruption of the baby teeth. If the symptoms mentioned above continue to persist for more than 24 hours , the baby should be examined by a physician to rule out any upper respiratory tract infection and any other disease conditions. Continue reading →