1. Maintaining your Baby’s Dental Hygiene
While babies aren’t eating tons of sugar and don’t even have teeth till they are around 3 months old,
they still need help keeping up on their dental hygiene. Babies can start getting dental problems
relatively early on. Some of their problems can be caused by breast milk as well as formula but they can
definitely start getting problems once they start diversifying their diet. Here are some things you can do
to take care of your baby.
Before the teeth come in
It is important to always keep your baby’s mouth clean. There are times that you will find that there can
be a milky residue that builds up over time. If that is just left, it could turn into thrush which is a major
infection of the mouth caused by the candida fungus.
Mouth Check
In order to know how your baby is doing, you should check his/her tongue regularly to know if there are
any problems. Thrush will show up as a white on the tongue, inside the lip or on the insides of the
cheeks. If you find that your baby does have thrush, make sure that you call your pediatric as soon as
possible. Some will just tell you to wait it out or they will give you an oral fungal medication that will
help clear things up. Usually
thrush is short lived.
No sleeping with a bottle
Many parents think it is a good
idea to leave a bottle in their
baby’s mouth because it helps
keep them sleeping. If it is milk or
juice, it can cause some major
damage to their teeth and could
lead to some serious problems in
the future.
No Fluoride
When brushing your baby’s teeth you need to have a small toothbrush that has a bit of a fatter handle
so they can hold it well. It is also important to get a toothbrush with a smaller head so they don’t gag on
it. There should be a pea-size of toothpaste on the head and the toothpaste shouldn’t have any fluoride
as it can be harmful on the body if swallowed. Many parents will do it all of their baby but if you give
them the chance to brush their own teeth it can help them develop good habits at a young age.
First dentist appointment
Your first dentist appointment should be in the first year. There is no better time to see the dentist in
Sandy, UT than when those first teeth start to come in. Dentists can give you a good idea on what to do
to take care of your child’s mouth.

2. Whether you are just cleaning your child’s gums with a little cloth and water, or just helping them
understand that going to bed with juice is no beuno, you will be well on your way to instilling good
habits that will last far into the future. Even though those teeth aren’t permanent, they do have a large
impact on your child’s health, so make sure you are taking care of them.