New parents pay attention to every tiny detail of a baby’s health. And yet they miss out on their child’s oral health. That is because they don’t think babies need oral care. They do. In today’s post, we will tell you a little about taking care of your child’s dental health.

Do you let your baby sleep with a bottle of milk? That’s a bad habit because it can lead to tooth decay. Take care to wipe your infant’s mouth after she has been fed. Baby bottle decay is also known as early childhood caries or nursing caries. The immediate symptom is pain but its long-term consequences include improper development of permanent teeth. Do not keep the baby exposed to sweet liquids for a long time. As a nursing mother, you should also take care of your own dental health; if you have cavities, the bacteria responsible for it can infect your baby too. It may sound strange but cavities are infectious.

Something that parents notice after a while is thumb sucking. Thumb sucking is typically observed in babies up to the age of two. However, you should dissuade your child from it after that age. It is better not to let your child suck her thumb when her permanent teeth start appearing. Thumb sucking or chewing a pacifier gives your child a sense of emotional security. Thus, in order to stop her from thumb sucking or pacifier chewing, you need to provide her with more emotional support instead of scolding her.

It is important that you take your child to the dentist when her first tooth appears. Thereafter, in consultation with your dentist, you may take her for check ups every six months.

Hope this post helped. Do let us know if you have any other query.

Tags: Children, dental care in children