Many parents don’t know that oral health care begins when your child is an infant, even before they have teeth. Most babies have a few teeth by their first birthday, let’s try to keep them healthy. Baby teeth save space for adult teeth. Dentists may need to remove decayed baby teeth, if this happens, it can cause adult teeth to come in crooked. Tooth decay, even in baby teeth can cause pain. This can affect their eating/chewing and even their speech.

The 1, 2, 3’s of caring for baby teeth:

  1. Start dental care before the first tooth arrives. Use a clean cloth to wipe your infant’s gums after feeding
  2. See a dentist during your baby’s first year, after the first tooth has arrived.
  3. Don’t let your baby take a bottle to bed. Even breast milk contains sugars that can promote tooth decay.
  4. Young kids need help brushing. Before age 6 kids usually need help brushing.

Fun Fact: There are 20 baby teeth in a full set for children, and 32 is the number of adult teeth.

Sarah Caudle, PA-C