Teething is a stressful time for most parents. Your child is sad and uncomfortable, it isn’t much you can do to alleviate their pain.
On the flip side, it’s so exciting to see that first little pearly white pop through those cute pink gums. Now that the teeth are starting to sprout it’s important to treat them with care.
Here are a few bad habits and a couple of good habits that can affect a baby’s teeth.
Sleeping with a Bottle
There are more reasons than just concern for your baby’s teeth when sleeping with a bottle.
Also, their saliva slows down during sleep and won’t clear out the sugars from their drink as efficiently.
Using a Bottle or Sippy Cup as a Pacifier
A bottle or sippy cup shouldn’t substitute for a pacifier. If you let them drink milk or juice all day their brand new little teeth will be constantly exposed to sugars and acids.
If they need a drink between meals, try to help them use an actual cup and give them water.
Cleaning off Bottle Nipples or Pacifiers with your Mouth
Your mouth is full of bacteria your child’s mouth isn’t quite ready to fight off yet. If your kid’s bottle nipple or pacifier needs cleaning off use a clean damp rag or run a little water over it.
If you put it in your mouth to clean it off, you could be introducing new bacteria to your baby’s mouth.
Dipping Pacifiers
Some parents will dip pacifiers in honey or sugar because their baby loves it. This is a very bad habit to get into.
You don’t want your child eating straight sugar all the time because it’s bad for their health and their little growing teeth.
Sippies
Sippy cups are a wonderful thing for tired moms because they decrease the chance of spilling, but they aren’t the best for your kid’s teeth. Sippy cups allow liquid to collect around the child’s front teeth.
If your baby isn’t very good at sucking down their spit, the liquid and its sugars will just sit there.
Drinks other than Water
According to Web MD, “Baby bottle tooth decay happens when sweetened liquids or those with natural sugars (like milk, formula and fruit juice) cling to an infant‘s teeth for a long time.”
If you give your baby sugary drinks try and limit it to meal time.
Brushing
As soon as that first baby tooth starts to make its introduction, you’ll want to help your little one brush their tooth. You don’t need any toothpaste until your child is two years old.
Before then you can help them to brush away the bacteria with a soft baby toothbrush. This will help to set good habits and keep their teeth healthy.
Dental Appointment
Look in your area for a pediatric dentist like the ones at Alligator Dentist. They are specially trained to help with, care for and implement preventative measure for little mouths.
A visit to the dentist at such a young age may seem strange, but it’s a necessary appointment to make sure everything is progressing correctly with their oral health.
Setting good habits with your children at a young age can be exhausting. However, it’s something they will be able to take with them through the rest of their lives.
Your extra efforts are helping them more than you may realize.
If your child is now a toddler, it’s important to work with your kids and help them understand the benefits of brushing their teeth. Learn tips to make brushing teeth fun for children and become part of their daily routine.
Featured photo by yuri tasso on Unsplash
