Dentist San Antonio Teeth Hygiene for Babies

Babies require daily dental hygiene care in order to prevent mouth irritation and tooth decay. When you take the time to develop good brushing and flossing habits from an early age, it will make this often monotonous task part of their daily routine; for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

The Beginnings of Oral Health Care
Shortly after the child is born, so should dental hygiene begin. To gently cleanse the inside of the mouth after every feeding use a clean, warm wash cloth. the constant sucking on a pacifier, bottle, or during breastfeeding, may cause tears in the tissue causing the appearance of thrush, a treatable fungal infection caused by Candida. The yeast may cause the painful condition if not removed manually from these moist parts of the mouth. Some of the symptoms of the thrush are: patches of white that appear to coat the tongue, the inside tissue of the cheek and gums, irregular-shaped patches that are not easily wiped away and stick to the tissue causing pain when feeding or using a pacifier.

Although it is not typically considered contagious, if left untreated, a nursing mother may develop thrush on her breast. Once you see your doctor or dentist, he may prescribe a medication to clear up the infection.

So Much Pain for Such Small Teeth
Teething can begin around 3 months but typically begins when your child is 6 to 7 months old. A teething child can: drool excessively, become irritable, "gumming" or biting, get a rash around the mouth or on the face, lose appetite, cry excessively and have a fever.

Changes in bowel movements help ease the pain of teething by using a clean, cool washcloth to gently massage the gums. If it is appropriate for the age of the child, offer the child a cool teething ring or a teething biscuit. Because of the potential choking hazard, always supervise your child when using a teething biscuit. Over-the-counter pain reducers or desensitizing gel should only be used after talking to your doctor or dentist first.

Early Childhood Caries
A condition that affects children up to the age of three, or as long as they remain using a bottle is Early Childhood Cavities (ECC) also known as "baby bottle tooth decay". When the child develops his adult teeth the potential risk for severe tooth decay may be indicated by ECC though this is rare. Causes of ECC are: sugars and carbohydrates in the child's diet, beverages that contain sugar such as milk, infant formula, fruit juice, or any other liquid that contain or is sweetened with sugar, bacteria transferred from the caregiver to the child, the frequency of feedings, allowing a child to fall asleep with a bottle that contains any liquid other than pure water.

Childhood tooth decay can be avoided by: offering a pacifier rather than a bottle during naps and bed time and speak with your dentist for advice on how to expose your child to fluoride, if it is not available through your water supply. If using a bottle during periods of sleep, fill the bottle with only pure water although fluoride is good for making the teeth strong, thus preventing tooth decay.