Keeping Your Child’s Teeth Healthy (For Parents)

 

DISCLOSURE: Noelle Copeland RDH is the oral care specialist and dental consultant to the Brilliant and Baby Buddy oral care lines through Compac Industries. See terms below

Start Oral Care Early

Start good habits early. This includes an early oral care routine that can start very early, with a newborn! Get in the habit of regularly performing oral care for your baby and continue this habit in addition to some other guidelines for oral health.

● 0–3 months- wipe baby’s mouth with a sterile cloth, at least once a day to remove milk residue and bacteria.

● 3–6 months- perform an evening brushing routine, using silicone toothbrushes on your baby’s gums to remove biofilms and bacteria.

● 6 months and up- once the first tooth erupts into the mouth, start to use a bristle toothbrush on the tooth and continue to use silicone toothbrushes on teething and budding gums.

● Use a xylitol-based tooth gel for children 3 months and older to help protect teeth and gums.

● Don’t allow a child to go to sleep with a bottle that contains a sweetened liquid.

● Don’t dip pacifiers in sweet syrups to coax a child to sleep.

● Don’t use your saliva to clean a pacifier, bottle nipple, or around a baby’s mouth. Pathogenic bacteria can be transferred from an adult to a child, including the bacteria that cause oral decay.

Visit the Dentist

At some point, the first tooth will emerge through the gums. Once a tooth fully erupts into the mouth, it’s time to add a bristled toothbrush to the routine. This is also a time to start planning a first visit to the dentist. A child needs to see the dentist sometime shortly after the first tooth erupts or by their first birthday, whichever comes first. Young children won’t get their teeth cleaned at this first visit. This visit serves as an introduction to a dental office and allows the dentist to do an easy exam to look for normal anatomy and development, and allows for discussions about issues or challenges being experienced.

Help Prevent Cavities

● Start oral care early.

● Use a regular toothbrush to brush your baby’s teeth when they start to come in.

● Parents should perform all oral care for their children until age 5. Toothbrush training can start around age 3 but parents are still doing all of the toothbrushings while allowing small increments of time for their child to brush, while being directly supervised, mimicking what the parent did.

● Use Xylitol or Fluoride as directed by your dentist.

● Floss your child’s teeth and teach them how to do it.

● Limit or avoid sugary foods, juices, candy, and other sticky, gummy, and chewy foods.

Oral health is important for everyone! Talk to your dental professional about any challenges you may encounter or questions you may have about taking care of your mouth. Remember that the right tools used the right way mean everything when it comes to oral hygiene. Be sure to check out Brilliant’s best electric toothbrush for kids and don’t forget that a baby electric toothbrush is NOT recommended for children under 3 years of age. Instead, you can start with our manual toothbrush for babies. Check out our toothbrushes here at 

https://www.brilliantoralcare.com/collections/manual-toothbrushes

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This article is intended to provide an understanding of and knowledge about “oral health topics” as expressed through the perspective and experience of the author. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or counsel, including the diagnosis or treatment of any condition. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, an oral condition, illness, or treatment of any listed or nonlisted situation above. By using this site, you signify your assent to our Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to all of these Terms and Conditions, do not use this site.

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Brilliant Oral Care