Lesson #2:  Care for a Toddler’s Teeth as Soon as They Emerge

Once you can start to see your child’s teeth they are susceptible to decay. Children with tooth decay are prone to infection and tooth aches.

A warm cloth to rub/massage the gums after feedings or the finger toothbrush should do a good job of that along with disrupting bacteria. One dental hygienist I know would clean her baby’s mouth right after nursing, to get the babe comfortable with this idea. Then, once your child’s teeth emerge, brush their teeth each morning and night with a soft bristle brush with just a small smear of age-appropriate toothpaste. The child won’t spit it out, nor can you rinse for the first year or so. It’s possible to give too much fluoride so just the smear, no more than the size of a grain of rice. How to brush teeth of a toddler? A brief video.  

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You already know this but it’s worth repeating. Keep sugary foods and drink to a minimum. We have temptations all around us. Serve your child water or milk to drink, not juice. Don’t have sugary foods like dried fruits including ones we may think of as healthy like raisins and dried mango, which my daughters loved.  If you do serve a sweet food--dessert--have it with a meal rather than as a snack. 

If you eat sweets, serve them with a meal.

Sidebar note on Candy :

How does a cavity form? If we eat sugar (including milk, the natural sugars in milk), naturally occuring bacteria in our mouth digest the sugars. This natural bacteria eat the sugar, digest and produce lactic acid. Lactic acid erodes the enamel of the tooth and for 45 minutes afterwards, reduces the PH in the mouth. A low PH in the mouth makes it easier for the enamel, the outermost layer of the tooth, to come a step closer toward having a cavity.  

Avoid candy. If (or, for most of us in America anyway, WHEN) you eat sweets, eat them right after a meal. You’ll be brushing your teeth soon so the sugar doesn’t have as much time to do damage. Enjoy and remember to brush the teeth twice a day!