Great Tips to Care for the Teeth of Your Baby

Your baby’s first teeth are as equally important as their permanent set of teeth. The first teeth your child develops will enable him/her to learn the habits of speaking and chewing properly. At the same time, they will maintain proper space in the gums of your child for better eruption of the permanent teeth when time comes. 

Teething

Most babies get irritated as soon as their new teeth start to break through the gums. Check some signs and symptoms that you canconsider:

• Crying often.
• Slight fever.
• Drooling and reddened cheeks.
• Stomach upset and loss of appetite.
• Diarrhoea.
• Sucking.
• Gnawing over the toys.
• Pulling the ear on the same side as the erupt tooth.

In order to reduce the discomfort of teething, the private dentist at Wimpole Street suggests:

• Wash your hands properly and rubthe baby’s gum gently with clean fingers.
• Give your kid a wet washcloth or teething ring to bite.
• Teething rings can be stored in the refrigerator before usage to manage severe pain and gum swelling.
• Give your child non-sweetened rusks to chew.

Thumb sucking

Thumb sucking is a natural reactionin babies. Mostly, children begin to lose interest in thumb sucking by the time they turn two to four years old. However, kids who continue to sucktheir thumb after developing their permanent set of teeth have the risk of getting crooked teeth, particularly if the sucking is frequent. Parents should encourage their child to give up thumb sucking once they are two years old. Visit a private dentist in London to get advice in caseyour baby cannot stop sucking their thumb by the end of the first year at school.

Early Childhood Caries

Once your baby develops the first tooth, he/she is at greater risk of dental decay, called Early Childhood Caries (ECC). These tips may prevent ECC in your kid:

• If your kid has developed teeth, try to to avoid settling them to sleep with a bottle of milk, breastfeed, flavoured milk, or fruit juice. 
• Encourage your child to drink with a toddler cup from 12 months of their age.
• Do not let your babytake a bottle of milk or other drinks to bed.
• If your kid has the habit of thumb sucking at the time of sleeping, offer a dummy instead of a feeding bottle.
• If your kid wants a breastfeed or bottle of milk before going to bed, then wipe down their teeth gently by using a moistened cloth before putting them to sleep.

Types of foods to avoidfor dental decay

• Include differentnutritious foods that are rich in calcium and low in sugars and acids.
• Add two healthy snacks a day such as small portion of cheese, fruit and milk.
• Offer a diet with high amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, wholegrain cereals, dairy products and lean meats.
• Restrict eating sugary snacks such as lollies, biscuits, juices, dried fruits, and soft drinks.

Apart from the ones discussed above, you need to teach your baby good habits of brushing twice a day and flossing daily to prevent the attack of bacteria in the mouth. This way, your kid will have healthy and strong teeth and gums in the future.