Key Factors Contributing To Tooth Decay In Young Children

Decay In Young Children: Discover the importance of early dental care for babies’ teeth! Learn why safeguarding your baby’s teeth is crucial—preventing potential shifts in adjacent teeth if baby teeth are lost prematurely. Find expert advice and essential tips here.

How To Prevent Tooth Decay In Your Baby

Babies’ teeth are extremally important to care for, as if your baby loses their teeth too early the teeth on either side of the lost teeth may move and not allow room for adult teeth to come through. Therefore, it is very important to keep your child’s teeth healthy and strong. If you do not look after the teeth well the baby may develop tooth decay, and this can lead to pain and a lifetime risk of infections additionally treat tooth decay treatment can be quite costly to treat, even in young children.

Healthy teeth start developing very young, most often when they are a few months old as a baby. Tooth brushing techniques should begin on gums when baby is only weeks old, this will develop a routing and get them into good habits & will keep on top of tooth decay from a baby.

Causes Of Tooth Decay In Babies

Tooth decay develops when a baby’s mouth is infected by acid producing bacteria. It can additionally be passed on by saliva. The bacteria can easily be passed on through sharing spoons or cups through the cross-contamination of saliva. Ever licked a baby’s spoon in between feeding them? Or picked up a dummy from the floor, licked it and put it back in baby’s mouth? It is so easily done without thinking about it and therefore tooth brushing techniques are vital from a young age.

The biggest mistake parents / caregivers make is putting children to bed with a bottle of milk or juice, cordial or soft drinks in bottles. The best thing to give children is water in a sippy cup or milk when they are up and awake. You should never put a child/baby to bed with liquid of any kind. Not only is it a risk for the need to develop tooth decay treatment but it could also be a choaking issue when they are laying down with a drink.

Integrity Dental like many other dental services around the country, can assist with information regarding healthy habits to encourage good eating in your child’s health.

Signs Of Tooth Decay In Babies

Tooth decay may first appear as little white spots on your babies’ gum line or on the upper front teeth. These spots may be difficult to see initially even for dental care services. Babies and even children who have suspected tooth decay need tooth decay treatment urgently to ensure there is no long-term effects to their adult teeth later in life.

How To Prevent Tooth Decay In Babies

Take the best possible care of your own oral care before baby is born. Make sure you seek dental care services and be aware of your tooth decay treatment also.

Make sure regardless of if you breastfeed or bottle feed you take care of your baby’s teeth to ensure you are making sure you are aware of their tooth decay treatment as soon as it is needed.

Brush baby’s gums with a washcloth for the first 12 months so they become familiar with toothbrush techniques then as they hit 12-36 mths you can introduce tooth brushing techniques twice a day for 2 minutes using a small smear if fluoride toothpaste.

Never ever put a child to bed with a bottle. It not only exposes children’s teeth to sugars, but it can also put your child at risk of choking.

Bottles & sippy cups should not be used as an alternative to dummies. Children should not be exposed to walking around with drinks while they play or rest watching tv for long amounts of time. If your child has access to a cup for drinking it is recommended it be only filled with water to avoid having tooth decay treatment as they get older.

Teach your child to drink from a cup as soon as possible. Most dental care services, including Integrity Dental recommend by 12-15 months old children should transition from bottles to a cup. This is the best way to ensure does not stay in the child’s mouth and pool around the child’s teeth.

Dental Care Services recommend:

• Infants should see a dentist for an oral assessment by 12 months of age.
• Parents should limit food to three meals and two snacks a day consisting of healthy food choices and limit juice.
• Tooth brushing techniques should be encouraged early on so when the child can u toothbrush alone, they are familiar with how tooth decay can be prevented.
• Tooth brushing techniques should be encouraged from 12 months on.

Finally, Integrity Dental suggests that you always seek advice on tooth decay treatment if you suspect that your infant may have issues with their gums before it goes too far and effects their primary & adult teeth. If in doubt always seek professional advice and remember the earlier, you begin tooth brushing techniques the better your child will be in later years.