The issue of proper oral health in infancy is of the utmost importance to a child’s development. Pediatric dentists have always insisted on a few building blocks that parents and caregivers must focus on if they want to ensure that their newborns achieve optimum oral health. These building blocks are essential components that must be correctly met to succeed. They include the following:
- Prenatal care and education
- Regular dental check-ups
- Good oral hygiene habits
- Nutritious diet intake
- Early childhood caries prevention
By focusing on these foundations, parents and pediatric dentists can mark an infant down as one whose particular oral health will be promoted to staying at a high standard for all their life with lovely smiles.
Let us now look at each building block to help you understand why Scottsdale Pediatric Dentist insists that parents, guardians, and caregivers must practice them.
Prenatal care and education
As oral health starts during pregnancy, mothers should be attentive to their gum health. Prenatal care is necessary to maintain the oral health of woman because some oral problems can complicate bound to their little ones. Also, expecting parents should be educated on the significance of oral hygiene during pregnancy, including dental check-ups and a good diet. That will provide an excellent foundation for the oral health of their future children.
Early dental visits
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) states that children should have their initial dentist appointment by one year or six months after the first tooth comes out. The initial dentist appointment helps to assess oral health from several fronts. Your pediatric dentists will diagnose if there are any possible problems and give you directions on what to do to achieve optimal oral health hygiene for your baby.
Breastfeeding and proper nutrition
Breastfeeding offers multiple advantages for the baby’s dental health, including jaw development and single malocclusion or bite malocclusion prevention. Furthermore, to start on the right foot, infants must have a balanced diet, including essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D, to ensure their teeth and gums grow correctly.
Establishing oral hygiene habits
Parents must establish good oral hygiene practices early enough to ensure their babies are healthy throughout their growth and development. Parents shall carefully clean up their baby’s gums with a cloth or infant toothbrush gently after every feeding, and they shall brush the teeth as soon as the first tooth emerges, taking a pea-sized toothpaste with fluoride.
When new teeth come out more, parents can increase the amount of toothpaste they use on their children. At some point, we must teach the child how to brush effectively on their own. That means that parent-supervised brushing is a necessary step.
Avoiding early childhood caries (ECC)
ECC, or baby bottle tooth decay in infants, can have severe consequences regarding maintaining toddlers’ oral health. ECC is a term that defines the situation when a child’s teeth are exposed to liquids that have high sugar for a long duration, like milk, formula, fruit juice, and sugar-sweetened drinks, and they may develop cavities while the baby sleeps. By giving sweets to their infants in bottles and cups before they sleep, encouraging them to use mugs when they are ready, and keeping their infant’s sugar intake to the bare minimum, we prevent them from developing tooth decay. Also, wiping an infant’s gums after feedings with a clean and slightly wet cloth and trying not to prolong the use of pacifiers dipped in sweet substances are two measures to minimize the chances of dental carries and advance oral health in infancy. Besides regular dental check-ups, the early detection of ECC can be another preventative measure with prevention strategies for parents as part of the educative process.
