It’s really exciting when you can see that your baby’s teeth are starting to come through, but it can also be extremely daunting if you’re not sure how to look after them properly. This is why we’re offering some top tips for helping to care for your baby’s new teeth below and will also explain why good care is so important.
Why is it important to look after your baby’s gums and teeth?
Your baby’s gums and teeth are much more delicate than adult teeth. The amount of enamel and dentine on young babies’ teeth are significantly lower than that which forms on adult teeth, meaning that baby teeth are more at risk of bacterial accumulation and decay, which could result in infections. As such, caring for your baby’s gums prior to their teeth coming through is equally as important as caring for their teeth once they start to develop.
Caring for a baby’s gums
Caring for a baby’s gums is a simple task, and should be done from the start of their lives. This helps to remove and prevent any bacteria that can form on the surface of the gums.
If this happens, it will leave a sticky plaque behind which could potentially damage your baby’s teeth when they do start to come through. Follow these simple steps to care for your baby’s gums:
1. Use a clean, soft washcloth damp.
2. Carefully wipe down your baby’s gums with the damp washcloth – be gentle.
3. Do this at least twice a day – prioritise doing this after your baby’s feedings and bedtime.
Caring for a baby’s new teeth
Once your baby’s teeth have started to grow through, you can gradually start to introduce a toothbrush into their teeth cleaning schedule (always get the advice of your Paediatrician first). As your baby’s teeth are still extremely small and delicate, we strongly advise that the toothbrush you choose has small and soft bristles, to not cause discomfort and damage to the teeth and gums.
A good tip for softening the bristles of their toothbrush is to run it under warm water for a few minutes prior to use. Follow these simple steps to clean your baby’s new teeth:
1. Wet the toothbrush to soften the bristles.
2. Add some toothpaste – the size of a grain of rice is recommended as they don’t need too much at this young age.
3. Gently and carefully brush your baby’s teeth.
4. Do this twice a day.
It’s safe to use toothpaste at this age as long as you are using a minimal amount because the toothpaste will actually work to strengthen your baby’s teeth. It’s recommended that you increase the amount of toothpaste you use on your child’s toothbrush to a pea-sized amount when they reach the age of three.
For more information about caring for your baby’s teeth, or general dental advice and enquiries, contact our team at Burleigh Dental Studio today.
Article by Dr Anthony Hua – Principal Dentist
Dr Anthony Hua is the Founder & Principal Dentist at Burleigh Dental Studio. His passion, expertise and dedication to the field of dentistry have been recognised by his achievement of Fellowship status with the Australian Society of Implant Dentistry (ASID) and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).
