Caring For Baby Teeth

The baby's first teeth appear, on average, about six months after birth. Parents may notice excessive salivation and the child may become irritable while these first teeth are coming in.

When teeth appear, use a cotton swab daily to gently wipe the teeth and remove plaque. If your child has not grown up tolerating you "meddling in their mouth" you may have a much tougher problem. If your child is two years of age and their teeth have not been brushed and inspected by you, in all probability, plaque has not been sufficiently removed.


A common question asked by new parents is:

Why should I worry about cavities in baby’s teeth when these teeth will fall out anyway?

There are several reasons why baby teeth should be taken care of from the moment they break through the gums.

1. Baby teeth hold a place and serve as spacers for the permanent teeth. Decay and early loss of these baby teeth can cause loss of space for the permanent teeth, which leads to the permanent teeth shifting and thus leads to orthodontic problems for your child.
2. Healthy baby teeth are important in helping your baby speak clearly and properly.
3. Nice looking teeth are important for your baby’s self-confidence. Missing teeth, decaying teeth or bad breath can lead to your child getting teased by other children.
4. Your baby will need these baby teeth for biting and chewing. Without these teeth, your child might not get the proper nutrition.



Each year a large number of infants and young children experience tooth decay from milk, juices and other liquids being given to them in a bottle at bedtime. This decay from milk and juice is called “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay” or “Baby Bottle Mouth”.

When a baby falls asleep, the production of saliva decreases significantly. If a baby is given milk, juice or other sugary liquid and is then put to bed without brushing, the sugar in these liquids along with the bacteria that is naturally present in a baby’s mouth join together to form an acid, which starts attacking and decaying the teeth.

It’s best to get into a routine early and not let your baby fall asleep in the crib with a bottle of milk, juice or other sugary liquid. Prevention is the key to prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

Preventative steps:

* Don’t put your baby to bed for the night with a bottle of milk or juice. Most juices contain natural sugars, while milk contains sugar called lactose, which bacteria can also use to create acid, thus causing the decay.
* Don’t let your baby use a bottle of milk or juice as a pacifier. Lying around all day sucking at will on the bottle can be as harmful to teeth as putting a baby to bed at night with a bottle.
* Don’t give your baby a pacifier that has been dipped in a sugary substance. While this is tempting to parents to try and calm a fussy baby with a sugary pacifier, it can cause a lot of damage.
* Give your baby his or her bottle of milk a little before bedtime. This leaves you time to brush your baby’s teeth before you put him or her down for the night.
* Try to make the last thing your baby drinks at night before bed be plain water.





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