It is vital to start good oral hygiene habits for children right away, or further down the road they can suffer from poor overall health and end up performing poorly in school as a result. Read on to learn how and why you should care for your baby’s teeth. Thanks for visiting us at Saddle Rock Pediatric Dentistry of Aurora, CO. 

Caring for the baby teeth is just as important as caring for the permanent teeth that come in later. “Our concern is with oral health, and it’s more than just teeth and cavities. It’s an important part of overall health,” says Dr. Mungo. Poor oral health can cause problems with feeding in babies and also harm a child’s overall health, development and school performance. “Those teeth are important for speech development. Your tongue has to interact with the teeth to develop proper speech. Baby teeth also allow the jaws to grow properly and make space for the permanent teeth,” he says.

VISITING THE DENTIST

A child should see a dentist by his or her first birthday, or when the first tooth comes in, with a dental check-up at least twice each year after that to make sure the mouth and teeth are developing properly and on schedule, says Dr. Mungo. “That first visit allows us to take a look at the child and establish a dental home. We will educate the parents about diet and the use of bottles, make sure everything is healthy, and make sure they know that if there is any dental trauma, like from falling down, they can call us.”

NO BOTTLES IN BED!

Banish the bottle in bed. “That last gulp of milk or apple juice stays on your child’s teeth all night long. That turns into acid and by the time the child is 18 months old, he’s in the operating room at CHOC with cavities,” says Dr. Mungo. “We don’t want our infants to develop diseased teeth. Putting a baby to bed with a bottle is the biggest thing that would jeopardize those teeth.” If your baby must have a bottle to go to sleep, fill it with plain water only, he says.

TIPS FOR GOOD ORAL HYGIENE

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