Common Questions About Children's Dental Health

Even without teeth, oral hygiene should begin soon after birth. After each feeding, wipe your baby’s gums, inside the cheeks, tongue, and roof of the mouth with a clean, damp washcloth or wet gauze pad. This removes plaque, the sticky film containing decay-causing bacteria

Yeast infections in the mouth occur frequently in newborns. White patches can spot the tongue, cheeks, gums, or roof of the mouth. If they are removed, some bleeding will occur. Treatment is usually unnecessary; however, your doctor should be notified of this condition.

The average age for the first primary tooth is five to six months; however, there is great variation.

Fussiness, excessive drooling, rash, diarrhea, changes in sleep and feeding patterns, and fever can signal a baby’s discomfort. However, don’t assume that a fever or these changes are caused just from teething. They also can be symptoms of other health conditions. Check with your doctor to ensure your baby receives proper medical care.

We may recommend a pacifier, teething ring, or a special numbing ointment for the gums. Some teething rings and pacifiers can be chilled to extend their numbing effect. Older children will enjoy the soothing relief that popsicles provide.

To help your child’s teething pain, gently massage the infant’s gums with a clean, wet finger, a small, cool spoon, or a clean, wet gauze pad. This often soothes the child’s pain and irritation. A cold, rubber teething ring also helps.

Yes, babies are exposed to bacteria from a variety of sources, such as a caregiver blowing on food to cool it, tasting food, sharing utensils, kissing the infant on the mouth, sharing a cup, or sucking on the baby’s fingers. Care should be taken not to expose the infant to bacterial exposure from these sources.

Babies living in areas where the water supply is fluoridated do not need fluoride supplements. If the water supply is not fluoridated, or if the baby is breastfed, the physician or dentist may recommend supplements starting at the age of six months. Besides tap water, and often bottled water as well, fluoride also is found in juices (especially cranberry juice) and baby foods (especially chicken). These sources may provide enough fluoride without the need for supplements, so discuss the need for fluoride supplements with your child’s physician and/or us.

As soon as the first tooth erupts, primary teeth may be cleaned with a clean, wet washcloth or wet gauze. The gums also should be gently wiped. If a toothbrush is used, it should be an appropriate size.

As soon as teeth appear, they are at risk for decay and need to be brushed twice daily with a soft-bristled brush. Do not use toothpaste until your child is two years old.

Primary teeth serve as the foundation for a healthy mouth, including the gums and the proper positioning of permanent teeth. They serve as natural space maintainers, holding the space open until the permanent teeth are ready to take their place. If primary teeth become broken or decayed and are not properly treated, problems can occur with permanent teeth, which may contribute to other health problems. The result can be costly orthodontics and other treatments.

Because of the sugar content, juice and juice products have much greater potential to cause decay. Apple juice may cause staining of the teeth and should be diluted with water. Any beverage other than water has the potential to cause tooth decay, especially if the child drinks it frequently.

Frequent, long-term exposure of a child’s teeth to sugary liquids (including breast milk, formula, and milk) causes baby bottle tooth decay. The sugars in these liquids pool around the teeth and feed the bacteria in plaque.

You can prevent baby bottle tooth decay by wiping the child’s teeth and gums with a clean, moist washcloth after each feeding to remove plaque. You should never let your child go to sleep with a bottle containing a sweetened liquid. Among these are milk (including breast milk), formula, fruit juice, and other sweetened liquids. Constant use of a sipping cup containing sweetened liquids also can cause baby bottle tooth decay.

To repair the decay, extensive treatment or extraction of the teeth may be required. Because the children are usually around 18 months to 2 years of age, hospitalization with general anesthesia is often required to perform these procedures.

While sucking is a natural reflex, sucking on thumbs and pacifiers can cause problems after the permanent teeth erupt. Continued sucking after this time affects the proper growth of the mouth, alignment of teeth, and the development of the roof of the mouth that can result in the need for orthodontic treatment in the future.

Set a positive tone and praise the child when they’re not sucking. Thumb sucking is a stress-reliever and offers comfort. Look for any factor that might be causing discomfort or anxiety and seek solutions to correcting them, rather than focusing on sucking as the issue. Reward the child when he or she doesn’t fall back into the habit, especially during stressful situations. Schedule an appointment with the child’s dentist to talk about what is likely to happen if the habit continues.

Finding ways to take away the pleasure of thumb sucking reduces or eliminates the satisfaction gained from it. Bandage the thumb or put a sock over the hand at night. A dentist or pediatrician can prescribe a bitter-tasting medication to coat the thumb. A mouth appliance can be used to block the ability to suck.

Children should stop using a pacifier by two years of age.