Healthy teeth support your baby in eating and forming sounds and words. They also have an impact on how your baby’s jaw develops. As your child grows, regular oral hygiene will help to establish good dental habits. Infection, illness, and other dental issues can all be caused by poor oral hygiene.
Even though baby teeth are little, they are important. Your child will have difficulty chewing, smiling, and speaking effectively if they don’t have a good set of baby teeth. That is why it is essential to look after an infant’s teeth and keep them free of decay. So Kath + Belle created this parenting guide to effectively take care of the baby’s teeth.
Kath + Belle Tips in Caring for Your Baby’s Teeth
- Babies start to develop teeth between 6 and 12 months
When a first tooth develops, there is a huge range of variability, some babies might not have had any teeth before their first birthday. Around the age of three months, the baby starts to explore the world with their mouths, producing more saliva and putting their hands in their mouths.
Many parents wonder whether or not this signifies their baby is teething, although a first tooth normally comes around the age of six months. The lower front teeth (the lower central incisors) are almost often the first to appear, and most kids will have all of their baby teeth by the age of three.
- Massage the gums with a finger or soft towel
Teething doesn’t usually give too much discomfort to children, but many parents can know when their child is teething. Babies might show signs of discomfort in the place where the tooth is developing. The gums around the tooth may be swollen and sensitive, and the baby might drool more than normal.
To help babies relieve teething pain, you can massage your baby’s gums with clean fingers, offer solid, not liquid-filled teething rings, or a clean frozen or wet washcloth.
- Watch out for the baby’s diet
Babies might be picky eaters who usually seek soft drinks and sugary goodies, but it’s important to develop healthy eating habits in them at a young age not just because it affects their overall health and growth, but also because it impacts their oral health. Many parents are unaware of the effects of sugar on baby teeth and the causes of cavities.
Instead of giving your babies drinks and goodies with high sugar content, offer your babies water or plain milk between meals. Also, as they grow, just give them soft meals.
- Don’t let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth
If your baby falls asleep with a bottle that contains milk or other sweetened liquid in their mouth, it flows out and gathers around the teeth. While your child is sleeping, the sugars in milk interact with bacteria in their mouth to generate acids that break down tooth enamel causing cavities.
- Use Kath + Belle Kids Tooth Gel – Strawberry
Good oral health is very important even from the start. That’s why it is recommended to use pleasant tasting and fluoride-free toothpaste like Kath + Belle Baby 1st Tooth Gel as soon as your baby begins to develop teeth. This baby toothpaste tastes appealing to children as many of them don’t like the taste of conventional toothpaste.
Kath + Belle Kids Tooth Gel cleans the baby teeth well and helps soothe their sensitive gums. In addition, this toothpaste contains toxic-free and chemical-free ingredients, and only natural chemicals are used in the production of this toothpaste, which aids in the battle against bacteria.
- Make your first dental appointment within 12 months
Make your first dental appointment after the appearance of the first tooth within 12 months. It is recommended that all children should see a pediatric dentist by the age of one. A pediatric dentist will examine your child’s teeth to ensure that they are developing appropriately and that there are no dental issues. They will also provide you with more information on proper dental hygiene to take care of your baby’s teeth.