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When your new baby is born, they only have gums, and their baby teeth only emerge later. Nevertheless, good well baby oral care begins when your child is born, with the good habits you start continuing after their first teeth arrive.
The best care for your baby’s mouth changes as they go through the stages of developing teeth. Pediatric dentists Staci Brunell, DMD, and Priyanka Patel, DMD, of Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry in Yorktown Heights, New York, guide you on how to care for your baby’s emerging teeth.
You can care for your baby’s gums even before they get their teeth. At least twice daily, at bedtime and after your baby eats, wipe their gums with damp gauze or a moist washcloth.
The washcloth or gauze should be damp. Gently wipe your baby’s mouth to remove harmful bacteria from the gums without irritating them.
You can also start practicing good dental hygiene with your infant by only feeding them breastmilk, formula, or water. Avoid sugary drinks that can cause damage to their gums, especially right before bedtime.
Most children get their first tooth between 6 and 12 months old. You can start to brush your child’s teeth as soon as their first tooth emerges.
Use an infant-sized toothbrush and only a grain of rice of toothpaste to brush their teeth. That increases to a pea-sized amount of toothpaste by the time your child reaches 3 years old.
Until your baby is about two years old, it cannot spit out toothpaste. Use toothpaste without fluoride until your infant can always spit out toothpaste. Have your infant get the benefits of fluoride from tap water or another source recommended by our team.
Some infants can experience pain in their gums when their first teeth grow in. You can safely offer relief to your child by massaging their gums with your clean fingers or a cold washcloth.
If cleared by your baby’s pediatrician, you can also give them acetaminophen for pain relief. Avoid teething rings that are a choking hazard or have liquid inside. Instead, use larger solid rings.
Your baby is ready for their first dental visit when they get a tooth or turn one, whichever comes first. Your child’s first well baby visit at Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry is complimentary.
At these visits, our providers check your baby for tooth and gum decay and oral development. You also have the opportunity to ask questions about your child.
Well baby visits are designed to keep babies comfortable and happy during the visit while thoroughly checking their health. Babies attend well baby visits every 6 months until they turn two and switch to dental cleanings.
Our team is here to help your child’s mouth stay healthy from their first days in the world. Contact us to schedule your baby’s first dental visit.
