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Jerger Pediatric Dentistry > About Dentistry > For Infants > Tips
Preventing Dental Decay
DO NOT permit your child to nurse passively on the breast or bottle while sleeping. DO NOT put your child to bed with a bottle containing juice, soda, tea, formula, etc. If a bottle must be continued, fill it only with water. Your child should be weaned, and solid foods introduced into his diet, soon after the first birthday. This is a critical time in teaching your child to eat healthful foods.
Brush your child’s teeth after each snack/meal. If your child is taking medication, be sure to clean the gums/teeth after each dosage. AVOID feeding foods containing excessive amounts of sugar. Sweetened between-meal-snacks and drinks should be avoided. When sweets are given, they should be offered as dessert and eaten as a part of the meal.
Thumbsucking and Other Oral Habits
Thumbsucking, pacifier use and other oral habits such as lip, tongue and cheek biting begin during early childhood. If allowed to persist, they can be very damanging to the child’s bite as well as the lip and facial development. We should be consulted for advice on how to end the habit or reduce its effects.
Injuries to Teeth, Mouth and Face
Children are very prone to accidents – many of which involve the teeth, mouth and face. Keep our child’s environment free of items that may cause him/her to fall or allow him/her to climb to dangerous positions. If injuries occur, call our office at once.
Sequence of Appearance of the Primary Teeth
Every child should have twenty primary teeth, four of each of the five types. All twenty are usually in place by the time your child is three years old. They generally appear as follows:
- Primary Central Incisors: 4 to 14 months of age
- Primary Lateral Incisors: 8 to 18 months of age
- Primary Cuspid Teeth: 14 to 24 months of age
- Primary First Molars: 10 to 20 months of age
- Primary Second Molars: 20 to 36 months of age
Timeline and Tooth Care
0-6 MONTHS
- Clean mouth with gauze or washcloth after feedings and before bed.
- Ask pediatrician/pediatric dentist about fluoride supplements.
- Regulate feeding habits
- DO NOT allow child to sleep with a bottle or breast.
6-18 MONTHS
- First tooth should appear.
- Begin to brush teeth after feedings and at bedtime with a small soft-bristled brush.
- Continue to clean gums with gauze or washcloth where there are no teeth
- Baby begins to walk! Be alert to dental injuries and notify us as soon as possible if one should occur.
- Child should be off the bottle or breast by first birthday, unless pediatrician feels otherwise.
- At six months begin serving juice and milk in a sippie cup
- Avoid letting the baby walk around with a bottle
- At twelve months wean babies from bottles and pacifiers
- Use a pea sized amount of toothpaste on a soft bristled toothbrush or finger brush
- Brush teeth after every meal and snack. The best position is for the head to be fully supported like a “football” hold so the head does not bob back and forth.
- At eighteen months schedule the child’s first dental check-up
- Be aware of any falls or traumas to the mouth and contact dentist as soon as possible.
- Limit use of pacifier and discontinue by first birthday.
18-24 MONTHS
- Most primary teeth should be in.
- Brush child’s teeth after every meal/snack and before bed.
- Use a "pea-size" amount of toothpaste twice a day. Use water for the remaining two times.
- Be aware of problems that may be occurring.
- Limit the number of snacks your child has.
- Teach child to spit and start using a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
- Be aware of teething, use teething rings cooled in the fridge or freezer to provide comfort.
- Teething symptoms include drooling, chewing, and fussing. Fever is not associated with teething. If fever lasts more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours call your pediatrician.
36 MONTHS
- All primary teeth (20) should be in.
- Begin using toothpaste at every brushing when child is able to "spit out" toothpaste.
- Continue regular dental visits every six months.
- If any dental trauma occurs, call our office at once and follow our advice carefully.
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