How to care for baby's teeth?

When the desired baby comes into the world, we focus all our attention on its proper care. We read the reading and opinions of other mothers about baby products, we read internet forums, and we check cosmetic compositions. We pay great attention to ensuring that our baby is as well cared for as possible, and that the products we use have good opinions. Sometimes, in the heat of new duties, we forget about something very important - oral hygiene of the baby.

It might seem that since the baby is born without teeth, the problem is solved and we only care for the baby's oral cavity after the appearance of the first tooth. Well, nothing could be more wrong. We take care of the baby's oral hygiene from the first days after birth. How to do it, when to start brushing your child's teeth and why is it so important? We are in a hurry with the answer.

Since when to brush your baby's teeth?

Although the newborn does not have any teeth right after birth, its adventure with oral hygiene should be started. Baby's gingival shafts are nurtured by washing them with a gauze pad soaked in warm, boiled water or a chamomile solution. When washing with chamomile, you should carefully observe the child's reactions to make sure that chamomile does not cause allergies. If this does not happen, it is worth using it because of its aseptic effect.

Before this independence occurs, however, we are the parents who are responsible for brushing the baby's teeth and we buy the first toothbrush. It is worth reaching for it already at the stage of getting rid of the first tooth. The baby will certainly let us know when it will happen. Children are then restless, crying, put their fists in their mouths, and sometimes have a fever. Such swollen gums will be relieved by a silicone toothbrush. We put it on our finger and massage the gums. In this way, we operate in two ways: we care for the oral hygiene of the baby and bring relief to our baby.

At this stage, you should also remember to strictly follow the rules of our hygiene, so that you do not transfer any tiny bacteria to your mouth on your finger. Keeping your mouth well is also important to avoid very painful inflammation.

Stomatitis in an infant 

Infection of the soft tissues in the mouth is unpleasant even for adults, and when it occurs in children or infants, they become weeping, lose their appetite, and in some cases may even develop a fever. Stomatitis in an infant can be caused by:

• candida albicans mushrooms, occurring in the form of painful aphthas. It is not known exactly what causes them, but it may be caused by the consumption of large amounts of simple carbohydrates, general weakness of the body, and stress.
• herpetic stomatitisthe cause of which is most often contact with an adult virus carrier, e.g. through a kiss. That is why it is so important to avoid such caresses by people outside of the child's immediate environment.

Caring for the oral hygiene of an infant can help us avoid this kind of unpleasant ailments.

Learning while having fun

Knowing when to brush your baby's teeth, we move on to practical matters: While the silicone brush works very well for the first tooth, as the next tooth appears, it is worth providing our toothbrush with a real bristle brush, of course adapted to the age of the baby - o the right size, degree of hardness and a comfortable handle. In drugstores or pharmacies there is a large selection of them, we can easily choose something that will be attractive for a child.

It is worth paying special attention to this attractiveness. A toothbrush with the hero of a favorite fairy tale, in an intense color, will make brushing your baby's teeth not a chore, but a form of fun. While the baby is bathing, being next to him, we can give him a hand brush and at the same time brush his teeth. Children learn to a great extent by imitating us adults. Let's let the baby play, but let's not forget that quality is also very important in this matter.

How to brush your baby's teeth?

First of all, exactly. Your toddler does not have a functional enough handle to do it on his own. It was only around 8, and sometimes even 10 years of age. the child achieves manual dexterity at such a level that our help is not required. Until then, we should ensure that the brush reaches all the necessary places. Just keeping it in your mouth or biting it won't keep your teeth clean. In addition, avoid foods that stick to teeth and gums: biscuits, mousses, corn crisps or sweet juices. This accuracy is very important, because caries is a very dangerous and difficult opponent, and when it infects the tooth, the next ones will quickly become infected from each other.

Since dental caries is a bacterial disease, this means that if we parents have tooth decay, by licking the baby's bottles and teats, we can transfer our caries bacteria into the baby's mouth. It is common in young children bottle carieswhich occurs when we habitually let the baby fall asleep with the bottle. First, it attacks the front teeth, and then successively more.

Let's take to heart the fact that around 18 months of age, a toddler should give up the bottle. In addition, use low-flow teats that stimulate the mandible to develop properly. So, if we want to take care of the baby's teeth, remember to brush his teeth after dinner and not eat any sweets anymore. Studies show that up to 70 percent of three-year-olds have caries. It is even worse among preschoolers.

When to see the dentist? 

The sooner the better. You should visit the dentist after the first tooth appears, before the age of one year, and then every 6 months, although some specialists say even every 3 months. Then the child remembers the previous visit, meets the doctor and will be more and more familiar with the office and procedures within his mouth.

Let's choose a pediatrician who specializes in working with children, someone recommended by other parents. Then we will be sure that we will find a patient and empathetic person. The office designed with children in mind, colorful and evoking nice associations is also important. We, the parents, can also benefit from this visit, for example by dispelling their doubts about how to brush the teeth of an infant. The doctor will suggest, advise and indicate what to pay more attention to.

What about this fluoride? 

The topic of fluoride in toothpastes for young children can warm up online discussions. He has many opponents and many followers. Dentists are among the supporters, and this is perhaps the best argument in favor of fluoride. Fluoride "builds" into the tooth enamel and strengthens it. In addition, it works against bacteria that, after contact with fluoride, are unable to produce acids and dissolve enamel. Xylitol is sometimes given as an alternative to fluoride, but we cannot talk about replacing fluoride with it, because their action is completely different. Xylitol stimulates the secretion of saliva, which raises the pH in the oral cavity, thus preventing the bacteria from functioning.

Dentists they do not recommend flavored pastes, because these cause desire to swallow the paste. However, we can find it on the market staining toothpastes poorly washed places on the teeth. Such a paste can very effectively encourage a few-year-old child to hygienic procedures, at the same time teaching him the correct technique.

Oral hygiene in an infant is very important, because even then, through our actions, we shape the condition of the oral cavity of our children, as well as introduce habits that, if followed, will make our toddler be able to show off a beautiful, healthy smile.