Tooth Decay in Babies

Tooth Decay in Babies

As soon as baby’s teeth starts to come, the baby teeth are prone to cavities. This happens if babies are usually offered with  sugar-containing foods or drinks and are allowed to stay in the mouth for a long periods of time. The bacteria on the mouth turns the sugar into acids that damages the tooth enamel and leads to cavities. Although the baby teeth usually fall out after some time, baby teeth hold space in the jaw for the adult teeth to erupt. Healthy baby teeth helps your child in biting, chewing food, speaking clearly and it boost your child’s confidence.

Dental Considerations:

You can start by establishing good habits of cleaning your child’s teeth everyday and providing healthy foods in the child’s diet. For infants, it is important to wipe the gums with a clean, wet wash cloth or gauze pad after each feeding. According to the American Dental Association, for children below 3 years old you can start brushing their teeth with a soft-bristled, child-sized toothbrush and a grain-of-rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Awareness and prevention is the most important action to take to avoid baby teeth caries. Have your baby’s first dental visit as soon the first baby’s tooth appear.