Caring For Infants and Toddlers Teeth

Healthy teeth and gums are vital to your children’s general health and wellbeing. Good dental care should start even before their first baby teeth arrive, which is why your child’s first visit to the dentist should take place before their first birthday. The general timeframe is around six months after the eruption of their first tooth, as decay can occur as soon as teeth appear. As a leading paediatric dentist in Sydney, Dental Care Glebe are committed to helping you and your child.

Caring For Infant Teeth and Gums

You can start cleaning and caring for your baby’s gums well before the first tooth appears. A couple of times a day, just wipe their gums gently using a clean, damp face washer or gauze. When teeth appear, brush them daily with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Don’t use toothpaste with babies under 18 months of age unless recommended by your dentist. Put your child to bed with a bottle of water, not milk or juice, which can cause erosion of enamel. As soon as the first tooth appears (at about 6 months), begin cleaning the child’s teeth daily and schedule a dental appointment.

Caring For Toddlers Teeth

All 20 of the primary teeth usually appear by age 3, although their pace and order of eruption varies. It is vital that your toddler is seeing the dentist regularly now, although they may develop a fear of the dentist. It is important that this is overcome as early on in life as possible. You can help your child by holding them in your lap during the exam. Thumb sucking is not a concern until about 4 years of age or when permanent teeth appear and it could cause dental changes. If you have difficulty creating an oral care routine, try brushing your teeth together at the same time each day to create a good habit. Your child will need your help and supervision with cleaning teeth until they are about eight years old.

Caring For First Teeth In Sydney

For further support and advice on infant and toddler teeth, call us at Dental Care Glebe, Sydney today.