Blog

Each month we plan to share some dental news or helpful oral health information on our website.

In the last 12 months our staff have been excited to welcome 7 beautiful new babies into our extended dental family with the majority born to first time parents.

This month we celebrate mother’s day, so we’d like to congratulate all the new Mums everywhere as well as the Mums ‘in waiting’. And to the more experienced Mums we want to say we appreciate all you do to establish good dental hygiene at home and in providing access to regular dental care for your developing kids.

Here are some tooth friendly tips for babies and toddlers from us:

1. When you’re planning your pregnancy, it’s ideal to have a dental checkup before the baby’s conception. It’s important to ensure you have regular dental checkups and cleans throughout your pregnancy. Any urgent dental care can be undertaken safely at any time during pregnancy but inform the dentist if you are pregnant. During this time follow a nutritious diet and ensure your own teeth and gums are clean and healthy to reduce any dental concerns for the developing baby.
2. When the baby is first born from their ‘sterile cocoon’, promote the establishment of good strains of oral bacteria by limiting any kissing or touching of their faces by the extended family for the first few weeks, as this can transmit more harmful oral bacteria.
3. Start cleaning your baby’s gums during bath time around 3-4 months old by using a gentle cloth to reduce bacteria. This also helps to desensitize them to the sensation of having their teeth brushed later.
4. When the first teeth start to erupt (around 6-10 months) use a soft baby toothbrush twice daily. Avoid using toothpaste until your child is 18 months, then limit the amount of children’s toothpaste to the size of piece of rice until they are around 3 years old. Keep the toothpaste out of the reach of children and check your child’s teeth when brushing their teeth for any early signs of tooth decay.
5. Avoid putting your child to sleep with a bottle or staying on the breast while they sleep to prevent early childhood caries (ECC) from the sweet lactose found in all types of milk. Introduce a straw cup around 6 months to promote good tongue posture and also an open cup from 6 months with independent use of a regular cup by 18 months.
6. If your child has a pacifier to soothe it’s important to choose a flat flexible teat and avoid using a round or larger shaped teat that creates a negative force on their developing jaws. Dummy use is better than the habit of thumb or finger sucking as it is easier to wean from. It is recommended that dummy use is stopped before the age of 2 years to prevent incorrect tongue action and poor jaw development.
7. Offer a balanced diet and limit sugar intake along with all processed food/drinks (including fruit juice) as they frequently have hidden sugar. Snacking frequently increases the risk of tooth decay – encourage healthy snacks for your toddler including cheese, vegetables, fruit and low salt/sugar free rusks. Encourage drinking tap water for good saliva flow when your toddler is old enough to hold their own straw cup. Avoid placing anything other than water or infant formula into bottles. Many promoted young children’s drinks, including some popular toddler milk’s or those with added Vitamin C have a very high sugar content, leading to the development of dental cavities.
8. Teething rings that have been cooled to chew on, along with soft massage of the gums can offer some relief from teething discomfort. Numbing teething gels and also teething amber necklaces have both been proven to have potential health risks, so are not recommended. Baby paracetamol may be used as required (but not frequently and always follow the dosage instructions).
9. Healthy baby teeth aid in chewing healthy food and speech development. It also can increase your child’s general confidence to have ‘good’ teeth. The 20 baby (deciduous) teeth hold the position for the future developing adult teeth so are critical to be kept in good condition until each adult tooth is ready to come into the mouth (from age 6-12 years). They are much softer than adult teeth, so it is common for children to develop dental decay from a young age. If we detect a small cavity, during the twice-yearly checkup time, it is a much better outcome to treat early rather than waiting until there is any pain or concerns for our young patients.
10. Start bringing your child (1-3yrs) with you to regular dental checkups so that it is a normal lifelong habit. Our young patients quickly get used to having a ride on our dental chair, then having their teeth counted and of course watching a kids show on the ceiling tv. When they’re a little older we introduce them to having their teeth sparkled up with our soft rubber cup polisher.

Please ask any of our dental professionals for more helpful advice relating to your child’s dental needs and oral health when we see you at your 6 monthly dental checkup appointments.

For more helpful dental tips relating to Mums and Bubs a new Instagram page @teaching.teeth has been created by 2 Australian Oral Health Therapists with a wealth of information and recommendations for different products that will improve your childs developing mouth and dental outcomes.

Next month our blog topic will cover EOFY (End of Financial Year) and teeth clenching/grinding during the more stressful times of our life.