Teeth & Gum Care

Everyone knows that dental care is important for children and adults. But what about baby teeth? Dentists tell us that teeth and gum care should begin even before the first baby tooth appears.

Why Healthy Baby Teeth Are Important

It is important to keep baby teeth clean and healthy because:

Baby teeth hold spaces open for the permanent teeth to come in.
They help form the shape of the child's face.
They help the child to talk more clearly.
They help the child to eat and chew more easily.

Tooth decay can result when baby teeth are not cared for. Effects of tooth decay are:

Tooth decay causes pain and discomfort.
It causes infections that can affect the child's total health.
It may damage the underlying permanent teeth.
It can cause the child to miss school or to need emergency care.
It can result in costly dental care.

How Many Teeth Should They Have and When?

The first teeth are already present inside the child's jaws at birth.
Usually by six months, the first tooth will appear in the mouth.
The child has 20 teeth by the time he or she is 2 1\2 to 3 years of age.
The front teeth fall out between 6 and 7 years of age. The back teeth (those used for chewing) do not fall out until the child is 10 or 12 years of age.
To keep the teeth healthy, it is very important to care for the baby's gums and teeth even before they appear in the mouth.

Cleaning Your Child's Mouth

Even before the teeth begin to come in, you should clean baby's mouth at least once a day with a clean gauze pad or soft cloth. This should become a regular habit. To clean the baby's teeth and gums:

Sit on the sofa or chair with your child's head in your lap. If someone is helping you, place the child's head in your lap with his feet toward your helper. It is important that you child is comfortable and that you can see easily into his mouth.
Place a clean gauze pad or soft cloth over your finger. Dip the gauze in water so that it is damp, but not soaking wet. Wipe the child's teeth and gums gently.
When the child's teeth start coming in, begin to use a small, soft toothbrush to brush his teeth. Be sure to bursh all surfaces of the teeth, including the gums.
It is not necessary to use toothpaste, but if you do, use a small amount of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a small pea).
An adult should clean the child's teeth and gums at least once a day until the child is about 6 or 7 years old and able to do it himself, thoroughly.

Things You Can Do To Prevent Tooth Decay

Clean the baby's teeth with gauze or a soft cloth after each feeding. When the child is older, you may use a toothbrush.
A young child is not able to brush every tooth surface in his mouth, and does not know how important it is to brush the teeth well. This is why an adult should brush or clean the child's teeth at least once a day until the child is about 6 or 7 years of age.
Do not give the child large amounts of sugary foods. Offer sweets only as dessert.
When you start using toothpaste to clean the child's teeth, be sure it contains flouride (but use only a small amount-the size of a small pea).

Flouride Helps

Flouride is one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay. It makes the teeth stronger so they can resist the acid and bacteria that cause tooth decay.
Flouride should be provided in either the drinking water or as a supplement in the form of drops or tablets, with or without vitamins. Ask your dentist ro doctor about providing your child with flouride if you do not have flouride in your water.
When your child is about 2 years of age, topical flouride applications should begin. Your dentist or dental hygienist applies a flouride solution on the surface of the child's teeth to give the teeth added protection.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Severe tooth decay can occur when baby is allowed to use either the bottle or the breast as a pacifier. When a baby goes to sleep with a sweetened liquid in his mouth (such as cow's milk, formula, breast milk, soda, or apple juice), the acid that is formed breaks down the tooth enamel very quickly. Instead of being swallowed and washed away by saliva, the liquid stays around the teeth and causes damage.

To prevent baby bottle tooth decay:

Avoid bedtime and naptime feedings.
Avoid long or frequent feedings.
Use the bottle at feeding time only and not as a pacifier
Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle.
Give the baby a small amount of water at the end of the feeding.
Wipe the child's teeth off after feeding.
Wean the infant from the bottle or breast to a cup by 12 months of age.

Teething

As teeth appear in the mouth, your baby may have some discomfort. Your baby's gums will be sore, and he or she may become cranky or fussy.
It often helps if you gently rub the baby's gums with a clean finger. Sometimes it is helpful to give your baby a clean, cold object to chew on (such as a teething ring kept in the refrigerator or a non-sweetened teething biscuit).
Teething does not make a child ill, just uncomfortable. Often it seems that a cold or mild fever goes along with the drooling and chewing. If your child seems ill, call your doctor. Something other than teething may be causing the problem.

Thumbsucking and The Use of a Pacifier

Sucking is a natural instinct (need) for all babies. Usually there is no damage to the teeth from thumbsucking or using a natural-shaped pacifier unless this continues beyond 5 years of age. After age 5, the habit could affect the permanent teeth as they come in.

Early Dental Visits

Your child should be seen by a dentist before he is 2 years old. After that, you child should have regular check-ups to make sure his or her teeth stay healthy.

How To Teach Your Child To Brush His Teeth

Brush your child's teeth until he or she is 6 or 7 years of age. Then your child can start to brush alone. This will not always be done well at first. You will need to give lots of help. It may take your child several months to learn how to brush properly. Children can learn by watching their parents. Use the method described below and have your child repeat what you have done after each step.

Place the head of the toothbrush along the side of the teeth. Angle the bristle tips against the gum line. Move the toothbrush back and forth several times, using a gentle "scrubbing" motion.
Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, uppers and lowers, keeping the bristles angled against the gum line.
Brush all the inside surfaces and chewing surfaces of the teeth, upper and lower, in the same way.
For the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush so the bristles point up. Make several gentle back-and-forth strokes over the teeth and gum tissue with the front part of the toothbrush.

Toothbrushing Tips

Replace worn-out toothbrushes at least every three months because they will not clean your child's teeth well .
The toothbrush will clean only one or two teeth at a time. Change its position frequently.
Brush gently and with very short strokes, but use enough pressure so the bristles are felt against the gum.
Brushing the tongue wil the toothbrush will help your child's mouth feel fresh.
While it is better to brush after every meal, teach your child to brush thoroughly at least once every day so the plaque does not build up.
If your child has frequent discomfort or bleeding while brushing, call your dentist.

How To Use Dental Floss

Flossing removes the stickly layer of harmful bacteria called plaque that cannot be reached by a toothbrush. When your child's teeth are close enough together that their sides touch, you should begin to floss the child's teeth. Flossing, like toothbrushing, takes time and practice to do properly. By 11 or 12 years of age, your child can learn to floss his own teeth. To floss:

Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around the middle finger of one hand.
Wind the rest around the middle finger of the other hand. This finger can "take up" the floss as it becomes soiled or worn.
Use your thumbs and forefingers with an inch of floss between them to guide the floss between the teeth.
While holding the floss tightly, use a gentle sawing motion to insert the floss between the teeth. Never "snap" the floss into the gums. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C-shape against one tooth and gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth until you feel resistance. Always keep one finger behind the tooth you are flossing and the other finger in front of that same tooth.
While holding the floss tightly against the tooth, move the floss away from the gum by scraping the floss up and down against the side of each tooth.
Repeat this method on the rest of the teeth.

Other Tips For Healthy Teeth

Teach your child these tips for healthy teeth:

Brush the teeth every morning and night.
Brush the teeth or rinse the mouth with water after eating.
Have a dental checkup every 6 months.
Eat crunchy raw fruit and vegetables.
Drink milk to make teeth strong.
Have candy or soda only for special treats.
Drink water instead of soda or sweet drinks if you are thirsty.

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