Infant Oral Care
Benefits of Early Treatment
Healthy Happy Teeth For Life
The eruption of your child’s first teeth typically begin around six months of age. But even prior to their first tooth eruption, a good habit to get into is cleaning their gums. A clean, wet washcloth rubbed across their gums is all you need. Infant dental care is very important to the future health of your child’s mouth and teeth.
New parent with questions on what to do? Call one of our kid's dentist in Bothell or Seattle Queen Anne today!
Teething
Usually in between six to nine months you will notice your little one beginning to teeth. Common signs are excessive drooling, crankiness, rubbing their face (primarily eyes, cheek and ears), swollen gums and consistent urge to chew. They tend to have a culmination of the above all at once. Nap and bed time aren’t quite so fun during this stage.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is the most common disease found in children in the USA currently. When an infant is exposed to liquids containing sugar (formula, milk, fruit juices) for a prolonged period of time, the sugars adhere to the infant’s teeth and tooth decay can set in. Think of giving your baby a bottle to go to bed with. The sugars from the formula pool around their teeth all night while they sleep. Try to keep sugary fruit juices to a minimum, don’t let them go to bed with a bottle in their mouth, practice good home oral care and keep up with you six month dental check-ups to try and keep this disease at bay.
Importance of Primary Teeth
Even though primary teeth are temporary, they can still get cavities and if left untreated can spread from tooth to tooth. Even spreading from a baby tooth to a permanent tooth. Primary or baby teeth are important for developing speech, help with nutrition, and self-confidence and set the stage for permanent teeth. Primary teeth help guide permanent teeth into the correct spaces and if taken care of can help avoid or lessen orthodontic work down the road. It’s important to begin taking your child to the dentist by their first birthday. Learn more about what to expect at your kid’s first dental visit with Little Pearls Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics.