Having a baby is an exciting milestone in your life, however, not everyone knows that babies and toddlers can get cavities, as soon as a baby’s milk teeth start appearing, they can be subjected to tooth decayThe lay term for carious lesions in a tooth; decomposition of tooth structure..
This is why it’s vital to register your child with your dental practice within 6 months of a milk tooth appearing in your child’s mouth. (When the first baby tooth erupts) Numerous dental professionals recommend the cut-off point to be no later than your child’s first birthday, even if their teeth haven’t fully emerged.
Taking your baby to the dentist at this age can help to guarantee your child has a healthy smile for the rest of their life.
At what age should you take a baby to the dentist?
You should take your child to the dentist when your child’s first milk tooth appears, and no later than their first birthday, so, when they’re still a baby.
How to prepare for a visit to the dentist
To prepare your child for a visit to the dentist, talk to your child first to reassure them whilst being positive, and explain what’s going to happen.
It’s also worth going over opening and closing their mouth when asked as well so that the dentist has less hassle whilst asking them, you could even get up a YouTube video on the way to the dentist.
One thing that you can do as a parent is prepare a list of questions to ask the dentist who’s carrying out the examination Such as what to do when your child is teething or what age will your baby’s teeth fall out.
How to care for your baby’s oral health
To make sure that your baby has good oral health, you should ensure you do the following:
● Once the first milk tooth comes through, start brushing their teeth with fluoride toothpaste.
● Ensure you’re supervising them or brushing your child’s teeth
● Supervision is necessary until they are 7 years of age
● Their teeth need to be brushed for two minutes twice a day
● Brush last thing at night (or before bedtime) and on at least one other point in the day.
● Use children's fluoride toothpaste containing no less than 1,000ppm of fluoride until 7 years of age. You can use family toothpaste containing between 1,350ppm and 1,500ppm fluoride after 7 years of age.
● Make sure there’s only a small amount of toothpaste on the brush.
● Stop your child from eating toothpaste.
● Please make sure that children are spitting out after brushing rather than rinsing with water, to avoid diluting the fluoride concentration
Read more about brushing your baby’s teeth
Please note that this article is for patient information purposes only. The information provided is based on guidance available at the time of writing, which may subsequently change. Please consult your own dentist with any individual queries.
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