How To Prevent Baby Teeth Cavities
Your Federal Way Family Dentist, Dr. Lee wants to take a moment to stress the importance of your child’s “baby teeth”. Many people still think that baby teeth are not very important since they fall out, and if they get cavities, it is alright. However, children need their baby teeth in order to have the proper space for their permanent teeth. Premature loss of baby teeth can also effect your child’s speech, their ability to chew, and, unfortunately, even their self esteem.
Tips To Preventing Caries In Children:
Early childhood cavities are often referred to as “Baby Bottle Caries“. It most often happens in a child’s upper front teeth, but can happen in any of them.
There are things that can be done to help prevent baby bottle decay.
- Do not let your child fall asleep while taking a bottle, or put them to bed with a bottle
- Use their bottle only for breast milk, milk, or formula. Do not place any sugary drinks in their bottle
- Do not share your saliva(i.e., licking their pacifier when it falls) with your baby. This can actually pass your mouth bacteria directly to them.
- As your child’s teeth come in, be sure to brush them. When they are infants, “scrubbing” their teeth with your finger covered with a soft washcloth is perfect.
- Do not let your child use fluoride until you are certain they are able to spit it out and not swallow it.
- Encourage your child to trade in their bottle for “big kid” cups between their first and second birthdays.
If you have any other questions regarding your dental care in Federal Way, do not hesitate to contact our office! We are always here for any of your questions!