Dental Care tips for Baby Teeth

Hi Readers,

As a natural progression to my earlier blog on "Pregnancy and Dental Heath", today I will talk about milk teeth and ways to keep your baby cavity free.

Many parents feel that milk teeth are not important as anyways they will be replaced by permanent teeth. On the contrary, milk teeth are extremely important for the child to chew properly, to speak correctly, to be confident, to maintain the space for permanent teeth and of course for that beautiful smile.

Cavities in babies can develop as soon as the teeth appear, and are visible as white spots or lines. If left untreated, the spots turn yellow or brown and can cause pain. It is advised that you regularly check the teeth for discoloration or any sign of decay.

Let's talk about a few major reasons as to why children develop dental cavities and ways to avoid them:

• Frequent intake of sugary/carbohydrate rich food without maintaining a good oral hygiene:- It is vital for the parents to maintain a good oral hygiene and inculcate similar habits in children. Ideally, teeth should be cleaned after each meal either with a soft toothbrush or with a soft cloth/cotton.
• Night time Bottle Feeding:- It is commonly seen that parents let the kids go to sleep while feeding them. This is not a good practice since during sleep, less saliva is produced and the bacteria gets a chance to attack. If the baby is used to sleeping with a bottle, it is best to let the baby sleep with water in the bottle rather than milk/juices
• Low/high exposure to Fluoride:- Fluoride is good and bad for the teeth. Low fluoride content can lead to cavities and high fluoride content can lead to Fluorosis. Fluoride supplementation can be made based on the fluoride content of the water supply and the child's age.

Lastly, to maintain a healthy oral health in babies, it is advised to visit the dentist every six months starting from the time the teeth erupt.

Thank you and Happy Parenting

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