Infants
Parent to child caries transmission
This may come as surprise to many parents, but one of the best things you can do to prevent dental decay in your child is to make sure your teeth are free of decay. Studies have shown that with some children with severe decay, the type of bacteria causing it was identical to the bacteria in the mother's mouth.
Apparently, in casual contact (such as sharing an ice cream cone) the bacteria from a parent's mouth can be transferred to the child's mouth and can cause decay. When parents say that their child inherited their bad teeth, the truth may be that the child received the bacteria from the parent with decay. You may also want to make sure that your child care provider is not suffering from dental disease as well.
Xylitol
It seems amazing that a naturally occurring sugar could actually be a major deterrent to decay, but that is what is being shown with xylitol. In the 1970’s Finland developed large scale production of xylitol for use as a sweetener in chewing gum, and research regarding its dental benefits began.
Fluoride
If you are breast feeding, or are using a non fluoridated source of water for your baby (including both well water and bottled water), you need to obtain a prescription for fluoride drops from your pediatrician to strengthen the developing teeth. The dosage for fluoride changes at age one and again at age three, so be sure to keep up to date on the amount your child needs. Usually by age one the prescription changes from drops to a chewable tablet or measured liquid. It is very important to keep this medicine locked up, out of your child's reach. It is also possible to buy fluoridated bottled water, available in the infant food department at the grocery store.
Bottle Mouth Syndrome
This is one of the most serious problems faced by infants, yet it is entirely preventable. This condition results when an infant is allowed to take a bottle to bed. When milk or juice is used for the bedtime bottle, the sugar in the beverage pools around the baby teeth and allows decay to form. This decay can be so severe that the front teeth can be decayed off to the gum line, and can cause serious abscesses. Correcting this condition and restoring the baby teeth is complicated and expensive, and may require hospitalization and general anesthesia.
This condition can be prevented simply by never giving a baby a nighttime bottle containing anything other than water. It is surprising how many people do not know about this danger to babies, so please pass the word to your relatives or friends with infants about the serious consequences of giving a bedtime bottle of milk or juice.
Cleaning baby’s teeth
You do need to clean your baby's teeth as soon as they come in. This is easily accomplished by wiping with a piece of gauze or a clean washcloth. Some baby stores sell special finger cots for this process, which may be helpful. Do not use any toothpaste before age two.
After age two, you may brush your child's teeth with a toothbrush, but do not use more than a pea sized about of toothpaste. It is most effective to lean your child back in your lap for the best access for brushing, and try to make it a fun time. Your child may try to brush by him or herself, but do not consider this as anything other than play. Until age six, a child simply does not have the dexterity to properly brush teeth. Be sure to keep toothpaste and any other fluoride products (such as adult fluoride gels) out of reach since ingestion of a large amount of toothpaste can result in an overdose of fluoride.
Infant Nutrition for Oral Health
You should follow your pediatrician's advice when it comes to what to feed your infant and toddler, but here are a few guidelines for parents that can help form good habits and help prevent decay. One of the biggest dangers for poor nutrition is the overuse of juice or sweet drinks. Parents often believe that fruit juices are important for nutrition, but more than one small serving a day is unnecessary. Too much juice can fill the child up and can actually cause malnutrition if it causes milk intake to decrease. Juices are also very sweet and can cause decay rapidly. Our advice is to limit juice to one small glass at breakfast time, and make sure that you are using real fruit juice. Children should not be receiving sweetened fruit beverages instead of juice, and there is no need to spend money on juice boxes. They are a bad habit that your child does not need to start. Once solid foods are a part of your baby's diet, be careful not to use cookies and crackers too often. Like fruit drinks, they can fill a child up and prevent them from eating the foods they really need. They can also contribute to tooth decay.
