Steps to Take Care of your New Born Baby Teeth

New-born baby teeth are going to fall off sooner or later but, does that mean you don’t need to take care of them? No. It is important to take care of your baby’s initial teeth.

This is because all of the baby’s teeth are NOT going to grow at the same time as some have yet just pierced through. When the baby starts eating food, the food begins to get stuck in the food sockets and around the grown tooth. This can wither the milk tooth sooner and may also decay the permanent tooth below.

It is surprising to know that babies begin developing their teeth while they are still in the womb. However, every baby possesses a different period for teeth to begin emerging out of their gums.

For most babies, teeth begin appearing between the age of 6 months to 10 months. However, for some babies, teeth may begin appearing as soon as 3 months and for some as late as 12 months.

This is why you need to keep a good eye on your baby’s gums. As the baby starts teething, you must take the necessary measures to avoid tooth decay, gingivitis, and other oral complications.

Signs baby is teething

These are some of the most common symptoms every baby shows though the baby’s teething symptoms differ.

• Swollen gums
• Cranky and fussy baby
• Higher body temperature (>101 F)
• Chewing things
• Excessive drooling
• Coughing

These symptoms are normal but symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, rashes on the body, higher fever, and congestion are red flags, and call your doctor immediately.

Here are 6 tips on how to take care of baby teething symptoms

1. Clean baby’s mouth before teeth starts coming

Cleaning the baby’s mouth from the beginning keeps the gums clean and no food particles can be left behind. This prevents the gums from storing food in the tooth sockets and prevents them from producing bacteria.

As you observe baby teething symptoms, make sure to clean the gums daily. This will protect the milk teeth from decay and also prevent any gum infections that can allow the bacteria to penetrate within and deteriorate the permanent teeth.

You can clean the gums with a soft warm wet cloth by covering the cloth over your finger and damping it over the gums gently. There are special soft rubbery devices that fit over your finger and are used to rub off the excess food.

2. Take care of appeared teeth right away

As baby teething symptoms begin to appear and you observe teeth growing from the sockets, you can upgrade from the cloth to a toothbrush. At first, you want the baby to get familiar with the toothbrush and ensure it is not something that is going to hurt them. So, you just want to soak the toothbrush in warm water and allow the baby to chew on it. The bristles will take the stuck food particles off of the gums. You want to get a soft-bristled toothbrush, with a small head and a long handle. Eventually, you must begin taking control over the toothbrush and you can gently start brushing over the teeth and gums.

3. Avoid cavities

Baby’s teeth are supposed to be white but you will often notice that as they start growing older, they begin to turn yellow or there is minor discoloration. This is when cavities begin to develop in babies. The major cause behind this is milk. Never put your baby or infant to sleep with a bottle of milk once baby teething symptoms begin to appear. Milk or formula, both of them have sugar in it which remains in the baby’s mouth overnight which develops bacteria. As the teeth are soaked in milk overnight, they begin to decay.

Make sure to put your child in the habit of drinking water before sleeping as this cleans the mouth and teeth by itself and also the saliva produced, protects the teeth from bacteria because of its anti-bacterial property.

4. CONSUME tap water

Most parents believe that babies should drink only boiling and purified water but in fact, consuming tap water for babies is extremely beneficial. Tap water consists of essential fluorides necessary to prevent tooth decay as fluoride kinds of toothpaste are not sufficient.

As far as the bacteria in the water is concerned, when the baby is born and is breastfeeding, their immunity is extremely strong and yet developing more and more by producing extra antibodies to fight any germs and viruses. This helps the baby’s immunity system to recognize the viruses and build antibodies necessary to fight them and remember them for a lifetime.

5. After 2 years old, starting brushing using a toothpaste

It is recommended to use fluoride kinds of toothpaste suited best for infants as soon as most of the baby teeth start growing. Use toothpaste that is the size of a rice grain to brush your baby’s teeth. Gently brush over baby’s teeth and gums as well. You can also use your finger or the rubber device by applying toothpaste over it and brushing it gently over the teeth and gums.

6. Regular Dental appointments

It is recommended to visit the dentist as your baby is 1 year old or get the first dental examination as the teeth begin appearing. By observing the baby's teething symptoms, the dentist can detect the baby’s teeth growth from the jaw structure and can also recommend methods to prevent any future teeth complications.

If your baby develops good dental habits from the beginning it is easy for those habits to last for a lifetime.

At Kanata Highlands Dental Care we offer the best service to maintain the shine of your smile.

For more information, contact us today at (613)-270-1001 or book an appointment today!