Caring for our little ones pearly whites starts long before their first tooth erupts. As early as possible, parents ought to introduce them to good oral hygiene, yes, even when they’re still so tiny that they cannot hold a toothbrush in their hands for a second or two. Babies healthy gums, after all, paved the way for healthy milk teeth, which later on yield healthy and strong permanent teeth onto our little one’s adult life.
You might think a little baby will put up such a fuss whenever you try cleaning their mouth after every feeding time, but mums should not give up and carry on cleaning our babies gums and teeth as long as we could. We must instill in them a good oral hygiene to prevent toothaches and scary dental visits in the future.
Here are a few tips on how to protect your child’s teeth:
- Always clean your baby’s mouth after feeding and before going to bed ~ With or without those pearly whites, it is of utmost importance that we clean our babies’ mouth before they turn in at night. For infants, simply dampen a piece of soft cloth and wipe their tongues and along the gum lines, too. For bigger babies, there are various gum brush available in the market which you can use to clean your baby’s mouth.
- Visit the dentist when the baby turns 1 ~ This is most ideal as the dentist can guide you on how to properly care for your little one’s teeth. You can also do your visit as soon as your child’s first tooth erupts so that the dentist can give you instructions on how to keep your child’s tooth in the pink of health
- Introduce toothbrush as soon as the first tooth erupts ~ As I’ve mentioned, even if the little ones will only chew on it or play with it, get them accustomed to using toothbrush soon by introducing it to them as soon as possible. Make sure you buy dentist-approved Extra soft toothbrush that will protect your little one’s delicate gums.
- Go easy on the sugary drinks ~ these drinks contain acid that will make your child’s teeth susceptible to decay. Instead of sweet juices, fill his bottles with water.
- Improve mum and dad’s oral hygiene, too ~ tooth decay is contagious and if the parents are not careful they can pass this on to their children, too. So parents must book for dental appointments, as well, and brush as religiously as they can.
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