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Good dental health care for your baby is an important step towards a lifetime of healthy teeth.
Children have their own schedule for teething. Most children begin teething at about six months and most "baby" teeth are in by three years of age. The bottom front teeth usually appear first, followed by the top front teeth.
Teething
Although many babies have no teething problems, teething can cause some discomfort, making the baby irritable or fussy. The baby may also not want to eat.
Teething does not cause fevers. If your baby has a fever or diarrhea while teething, treat it appropriately as you would at any other time. If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's fever or diarrhea, call the BC NurseLine or your health care provider.
Your baby may feel better if allowed to chew on a clean, chilled teething ring or wet face cloth. Teething cookies or biscuits are not a good choice because they can stick to your baby's teeth and cause tooth decay.
Check with a health care provider before using teething gels or tablets, or ointments.
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the mouth. This can be passed onto the baby. If family members have healthy teeth, they will pass on less cavity-causing bacteria to the baby.
Your baby's teeth can start to decay from the first day they appear. The decay starts along the gum line behind the top front teeth, which makes it hard to see. It spreads to the front of these teeth and can often affect all your baby's teeth.
Good dental health care for your child includes cleaning and wiping your child's mouth everyday with a clean wet face cloth or a soft baby toothbrush. Cleaning and checking your child's mouth and teeth regularly can ease teething discomfort and prevent early childhood tooth decay.
Once teeth appear, it is important to make a habit of cleaning your child's teeth twice a day. Gently clean your baby's teeth using a soft baby toothbrush or wet face cloth with a smear of toothpaste containing fluoride. Lift the lip so you can see along the gum line when cleaning. One cleaning should be after the last feeding of the day.
Reduce the chance of passing harmful bacteria onto your child by not sharing toothbrushes, not licking soothers to clean them, and not testing the baby's food with the same spoon.
The Canadian Dental Association recommends regular dental visits beginning six months after the first tooth appears, or at about one year of age.
Your child's first dental visit is a good time to discuss daily dental care, including fluoride and eating habits. If you have a concern about your infant's teeth, make an appointment to see your dentist.
The Canadian Dental and Medical Associations and the dental professionals of British Columbia recommend fluoride for preventing tooth decay for people of all ages.
Fluoride is a proven, effective and low cost way to prevent cavities. Teeth are not fully formed when they first appear, and fluoride helps them be more resistant to decay.
Fluoride is added to most brands of toothpaste and found in some water supplies. Some baby toothpastes do not have fluoride so check the label for ingredients. If you are unsure if your water supply contains fluoride, call your local health unit.
Fruit juice, sweetened tea, soft drinks, all types of milk, and formula all contain sugars that can cause tooth decay if left in contact with teeth for long periods of time. When a child uses a bottle for long periods, especially during rest or sleep times, tooth decay can develop.
Water will not harm the teeth. Water is a good choice in the sipper cup or bottle between regular feeding times. Between six and nine months of age is a good time to introduce your baby to using a cup. At this time, your baby's first teeth may be appearing so daily teeth cleaning is needed to remove food and bacteria that stick to teeth.
Soothers or pacifiers are sometimes given to infants during rest, sleep or other times when the baby has finished feeding but still wants to continue sucking. If you choose to give your baby a soother, here are a few tips:
Soothers are not recommended once all of the baby teeth have grown in, usually at about three years of age.
For information about dental care for children, please see BC HealthFile #19b Dental Care for Toddlers.
Children in families who receive income assistance or MSP premium assistance are eligible for basic dental care through the Healthy Kids Program. For more information, call 1-866-866-0800, or visit the Web site at www.mhr.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/2005/healthy_kids.htm.
For more information on child dental care, please contact the dental program at your public health unit, your dentist or dental hygienist.
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