Caring for Tiny Teeth

Before your infant goes off to sleep at the end of the day, you should do more than kiss the little one good night. Make sure your baby’s developing teeth avoid risking baby bottle tooth decay.¹

Baby bottle tooth decay happens when juice, soft drinks or milk stay in the mouth for a long period of time, such as when a baby sucks on a bottle while sleeping. The sugars in the drink are metabolized by bacteria, which produce acid that eats away the enamel of the teeth. This can result in cavities.²

You can fight decay by keeping your baby’s mouth clean. Even before the first teeth appear, wipe the gums after each feeding. Massage the gums in toothless areas.²

Tips for keeping your baby’s gums and teeth healthy include:

• Wipe a child’s gums after meals beginning shortly after birth.^2,3 Begin to gently brush your baby’s teeth when the first tooth appears.²

• Never put your child to bed with a bottle filled with milk, juice, or sweetened liquids.² Drinks should be offered from a cup as soon as your child is ready to use one, usually by his or her first birthday.⁴

• Talk to your pediatrician about dental care for your baby, and take your child in for the first dental visit within 6 months of eruption of the first tooth. Your dentist can start your child on a lasting program of dental care.⁴

¹. “Frequently Asked Questions.” American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. www.aapd.org/pediatricinformation/faq.asp Accessed 2010.

² “Early Childhood Tooth Decay: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).” American Dental Association. www.ada.org/3383.aspx?currentTab=2 Accessed 2010.

³ “Dental Care for Your Baby.” American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. www.aapd.org/publications/brochures/babycare.asp Accessed 2010.

⁴ “ADA Statement on Early Childhood Caries.” American Dental Academy www.ada.org/2057.aspx Accessed 2010.