Oral health is important at any age; in fact, oral development can start as early as 4 months in utero! Some babies might even be born with teeth. When this happens, dental professionals refer to it as natal teeth. It’s a good idea to start caring for your baby’s oral hygiene early on so you can give them the advantage of keeping their teeth and mouth healthy.

How To Care For Your Baby’s Oral Health

Even though your baby might not have their first tooth in yet, it’s still very important to keep their little mouths clean. We recommended that parents keep a soft washcloth handy to use in their baby’s mouth after feeding. Parents should damp the clean washcloth and use it to massage their child’s gums and wipe their tongue, cheeks and roof of their mouth. This will help make sure their oral cavity stays bacteria-free and reduce their risk of developing tooth decay and cavities.

Oral Health Concerns For Your Baby

Transmitting Tooth Decay. Many parents aren’t aware that they can transmit cavity-causing bacteria to their newborns through saliva. For example, when a parent has an activity cavity present, and they share a spoon with their baby, that bacteria can develop and multiply in their baby’s mouth. You can help stop this transmission by regularly and thoroughly cleaning your child’s mouth.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. When your newborn’s mouth is frequently exposed to liquids that contain sugar, including breast milk and formula, they could be a risk for baby bottle tooth decay. According to the Canadian Dental Association, baby bottle tooth decay “can happen to children up to age four.” Dull white lines or spots on your baby’s teeth could be a sign of this disease. To avoid this, we recommend not giving your baby a bottle of milk at night and instead replacing it with water. If you do need to feed your baby at night, just make sure you clean their mouth afterwards.

Newborn And Children’s Oral Care In Alberta

Our doors will be open soon, and we would love to help you with your baby’s oral health! If you’re looking for a pediatric dentist in Calgary, make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages so you don’t miss any of our latest announcements. We can’t wait to see you and your baby soon!