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Your privacy is a PRIMARY consideration of AskDrSears.com. Your e-mail address is used ONLY by AskDrSears.com for the purpose of announcing news, events and special offers available only AskDrSears.com registered users. CARING FOR LITTLE TEETH
Topics you will find:
Teaching toothbrushing See Related Topics:
When should I start brushing baby's teeth? Dentists recommend cleaning
gums with gauze to remove plaque beginning when teeth first appear, usually
around six-to-seven-months. Try the following brushing tactics.
Model good dental hygiene Let baby watch you brush. Show excitement,
capitalizing on "just like mommy and daddy." Around his first birthday, get baby
his own toothbrush and enjoy side-by-side brushing just for play. If you first
get baby to enjoy imitating toothbrushing, it will be easier for you to get down
to the business of getting germs off little teeth.
First toothbrushing The best chances for a cooperative baby and clean
teeth are to use your moistened gauze-wrapped fingertip as a toothbrush. Gauze
also works well in the older baby who refuses to let you invade his mouth with a
toothbrush.
Toothbrushing positions Placing baby on your lap with his head
facing you is a good position for a wide-open-mouth entry. Sitting or standing
behind baby with him looking up also gives you a good view. An older baby can be
held cradled in your arms to one side. Or try the two-parent knee-to-knee
position.
Toothbrushing and toddlers Once a baby gets a mouth full of teeth,
especially molars, a toothbrush works better than a mommy-made, gauze-on-finger
brush to get in the crevices between teeth. Don't forget to take a few gentle
swipes over the surface of the tongue, which harbors the same bacteria as the
gums. Letting your toddler hold the brush while you clean helps his acceptance.
Children mostly protest brushing their back teeth for fear of choking, so begin
with the front teeth and ease toward the molars.
Set your child next to you on the counter and let her watch how much fun it is to brush teeth. Give her a foamy grin. When your child catches the spirit and grabs your toothbrush, it's time to get her a soft-bristled toothbrush of her own. She doesn't need toothpaste yet. Kids often balk at strong-tasting paste. Some kids are fascinated with the spitting part—that's what they imitate, not the brushing. Don't expect children under three to clean their teeth well on their own. Your hand needs to be on the toothbrush guiding them. Begin brushing the front teeth and ease toward the molars. If you have a particularly cooperative child who enjoys toothbrushing, put your hand on hers and guide the brush in and out of all the crevices in the teeth. Make it a game Announce, "We're going to get the sugar bugs off" (or
"the chicken, potatoes, and cookies," etc.). Sing a song. We use an old (very
old) commercial jingle: "Brusha, brusha, brusha..." or "Brush, brush, brush your
teeth, up and down the gums..." (to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat").
Raffi has a great song about brushing teeth. Or talk about counting the teeth—
hearing you recite numbers from one to ten in an animated way can help a child
relax. (By the way, this works in the dentist's office, too, for those early
checkups.)
Which toothbrush? Choose a short brush with two rows of soft bristles
on a small head. Store a spare brush. They get lost, dirty, and wear out
quickly. Change brushes when the bristles get bent.
Which toothpaste? Toothpaste isn't necessary,
but if your toddler enjoys the foamy grins, use a dab of mildly flavored
toothpaste. Before using a fluoride containing toothpaste, check with your
dentist. If your child is already getting fluoride supplements or drinks a lot
of fluoridated water, don't use fluoridated toothpaste. If your dentist
recommends fluoride toothpaste, only use a pea-sized dab. Children swallow
toothpaste and too much fluoride can damage the teeth by causing fluorosis.
Why all the fuss about first teeth? Baby will lose all of them anyway.
It's important to care for the baby teeth. These primary teeth hold the right
spaces for the secondary, or permanent teeth. Healthy first teeth also
contribute to proper alignment of the jawbones and eventual bite. And don't
discount the healthy vanity of a smiling preschooler. No one likes to show off a
row of rotten teeth.
Here's how one mother taught her three-year-old to brush his teeth: "On Brandon's toothbrush there is a little picture of Oscar the Grouch, so I become the voice of Oscar the Grouch. I say 'Is there any trash in your teeth? Let me come in and see.' He immediately opens his mouth for Oscar to come in and look at his teeth and eat up the trash that's in there. Then we talk about having clean teeth, and how we don't want to leave trash in our teeth. Brushing Brandon's teeth have not become a big issue because I help him cooperate." 1. Breastfeed Pediatric dentists who study the effects of
breastfeeding on oral development believe that one of the most beneficial
contributors to healthy teeth and healthy jaw alignment is a breast in the mouth
for as long as mother and baby are willing and able. Apparently the unique
sucking action of breastfeeding helps prevent malocclusion. A saying we have
heard in dental circles is, "Your infant's breastfeeding efforts will later be
reflected in his face."
2. Avoid sticky stuff Keep your baby off a steady diet of highly
sugared junk foods, especially lollipops, caramel, and hard candy that stick and
lodge between teeth and have a long-enough contact time for germs and enamel to
get well acquainted. Tooth decay begins with the formation of plaque—a sticky
film that forms on the teeth and provides a residence for decay-promoting germs.
The bacteria and the plaque react with sugar in the food, creating a decay-
producing acid. The more plaque, the more decay. The goal of dental hygiene,
therefore, is to keep the plaque from forming in the first place by frequent
brushing and keeping sugar off the teeth by a healthy diet. When our toddlers
would protest toothbrushing, we'd tell them it was to wipe off the "sugar bugs."
3. Don't let baby sleep with a bottle of milk or juice Bottles are
unfriendly to a sleeping baby's teeth. Especially blacklist honey-dipped
pacifiers. When baby falls asleep, saliva flow decreases, diminishing its
natural rinsing action on the teeth. The sugary stuff bathes the teeth. Plaque
and bacteria have an enamel feast, resulting in severe tooth decay called
"bottle mouth." If baby is hooked on a nap or nighttime bottle, try watering
down the juice or milk each night until it's all water. If baby clings to his
nighttime bottle and won't settle for a diluted substitute, be sure to brush his
teeth well first thing in the morning.
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