As a parent, you are responsible for ensuring that your child maintains good oral health. Tooth decay is one of the most common dental problems among children. At Children’s Dental FunZone, our pediatric dental specialists in Montebello, Fontana, West Covina, Glendale, and Los Angeles encourage parents to take a big part in keeping their children’s teeth healthy. Knowing how to avoid baby bottle tooth decay is one way to promote good oral health.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
- Try to comfort or keep your baby calm without having to offer milk or sugar-filled drinks; go for a pacifier or plain water instead.
- Your baby’s pacifier should never be dipped in sugary liquid or honey.
- Milk and watered-down fruit juice can increase your baby’s risk of developing tooth decay, so make sure you don’t put him or her to bed with these drinks. Again, a pacifier or plain water could be used instead. However, be aware that too much water is not good for your baby as well.
- Wipe your baby’s gums and teeth after every feeding to get rid of any sugar and plaque that have accumulated on the gums and teeth. Make use of a wet gauze or cloth when doing this.
- Talk to a pediatric dentist about the fluoride needs of your baby. There are fluoride treatments and supplements that can be provided in case drinking water at home is not fluorinated.
- On your baby’s first birthday, teach him or her how to drink from a cup. Drinking from a cup minimizes teeth exposure to sugar. However, constant sipping from your baby’s cup can still cause decay unless only plain water is inside.
Taking care of baby teeth is important in order for your child to have healthy permanent teeth and a lasting, attractive smile. For more information on how to care for baby teeth and to schedule your baby’s first dental visit, call us today at 800-717-KIDS for a free consultation.
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