You can bring your baby to the Dentist after the first teeth begin to erupt. Around age 1-2 is best. Even if only an exam is done it is good for you to bring baby in regularly to get them used to the Dentist and ease them into the routine.

Start cleaning by wiping out your baby’s mouth even before the teeth erupt after feedings to lessen the bacteria in the mouth. Even formula and breast milk contain sugars that can cause early childhood decay/cavities (ECC).

When your baby’s teeth erupt brush them twice a day. If you start early, your baby will get used to having their teeth cleaned, and hopefully you’ll avoid problems later on. Use a soft baby toothbrush with a thin layer of baby toothpaste (without Fluoride) or just use water.

Avoid giving your baby a bottle in the crib at night (unless it’s water) to also lessen risk of ECC, and never put juice or pop in a baby’s bottle as this will cause decay/cavities.

When beginning solids, encourage a wide variety of healthy foods such as grains, vegetables, fruit and proteins. Avoid giving your baby sugary foods, and sticky foods such as raisins, candies, and juices.

The Dentist and Dental Hygienist will look for signs of tooth decay, check baby’s teeth for eruption, growth and development of jaw and for bacteria present. Baby teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth and are therefore more susceptible to decay.

Baby teeth hold the position for adult teeth and because of this early loss of them may cause crowding to adult teeth or block an adult tooth from eruption. It’s also important to maintain the baby teeth for eating, proper speech development, and to give your child the best smile.

It’s important to make sure your child is brushing their teeth two times per day. Once in the morning after breakfast and once before bed at night. Help your child brush until the age of 7 when they should be able to start doing a better job on their own.

Flossing is as important as brushing. Floss your child’s teeth or encourage the use of child flossers before bed each night to prevent decay from forming in between the teeth. If you are only brushing your child’s teeth then you are not cleaning all sides/surfaces and decay/cavities will form between the teeth.