Ways of Keeping Your Child's Mouth Clean as Their Teeth Begin Erupting

Posted on 7/7/2020 by Fariba Mutschler

Babies are quite the joy. After weeks or months of watching them fuss and drool, you finally see those first teeth popping. Although the baby's teeth are not permanent, they are quite important. These teeth act as placeholders for the permanent teeth that come later. However, even so, you need to keep your baby's mouth as clean as possible so as to create a healthy environment for growing teeth and also keep the baby as comfortable as possible through this experience.

Caring For A Baby's Gums

A baby's gums are quite sensitive. At this point most children have only been drinking milk, the gum is still soft and hasn't hardened. As the teeth first erupt, it is important that you keep the gums as healthy and clean as possible. To do this, you don't use any toothbrushes or toothpaste. Instead, look for a soft piece of cloth or gauze and moisten it. Once you've done that, you can now gently wipe down the baby's gums at least twice a day, more so after feedings and before bedtime. Dong this will help the baby's gums stay bacteria-free, especially after feeding. If left unattended, bacteria form in the mouth that cause plaque, which in turn can affect the baby's incoming teeth later on.

Brushing the Baby's Teeth

Once these teeth have started to pop up, you can then graduate to a toothbrush and some toothpaste. When choosing a toothbrush, go for one with a very soft brush, a small head and a large handle. During the first few months, you only use a very small amount of baby-safe toothpaste; the size of a grain of rice. That's important because the baby doesn't know how to spit out the toothpaste. What's more, you should look for a kid's toothpaste because toothpaste for adults contains some ingredients that aren't too friendly for an infant's mouth.

By keeping the child's mouth clean, you help their teeth come in well and without any threat of infections or tooth decay. As such, they can develop a beautiful smile. Give our office a call should you need extra tips on keeping your child's teeth healthy and strong.

My daughter was a little nervous to have her dental work done but everyone in the office was super friendly and very reassuring and that helped her nervousness go away. Thanks for the excellent dental experience. ~ Lilyana G.

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Our Dental Blog | Great Grins Pediatric Dentistry - Portland, OR
Dr. Fariba Mutschler & Dr. Mark Mutschler have created this informative blog to help educate the community. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please use the share it button to post to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.
Great Grins for KIDS Portland, 13908 SE Stark Street, Ste C, Portland, OR 97233-2161 ~ (971) 470-0054 ~ portlandchildrensdentist.com ~ 9/8/2024 ~ Associated Words: pediatric dentist Portland ~