Your Child’s Dental Health
Pregnancy and Dental Health
Keeping your teeth and gums healthy during pregnancy has many benefits for you and your baby.
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Did you know…
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What can you do to help? |
Teething
Teething is the natural process of teeth working their way Through the jaw bone and cutting through the gums.
Signs of teething
• Change in appetite and sleep patterns
• Urge to chew and bite
• Irritability
• Excessive drooling
Usual time for primary teeth to appear
• Each child is different and may not
follow the exact time chart
• The first tooth normally comes in
between 6 and 10 months
• By age 2 ½ to 3 years, children
usually have 20 baby teeth
• At about 6 years of age a child starts
to get their permanent (adult) teeth.
The 1st adult molar grows in behind
the baby teeth.
What you can do to care for your teething child
• Massage the irritated or swollen gums with a clean finger
• Use a wet cloth chilled in the refrigerator to massage the gums
• Offer a safe teething ring that has been chilled (not frozen)
• Do not use over-the-counter baby gum numbing gels. They contain a strong anaesthetic
that is difficult to control, which may numb the entire mouth and the baby’s throat. This
will suppress the gag reflex, interfering with baby’s swallowing and may result in
choking.
• Do not give teething biscuits, they are high in sugar and can cause cavities, especially
in new baby teeth. The biscuits also get soft and mushy and may become a choking
hazard for the baby.
Caution: If your child has a fever, funny nose or diarrhea, these are not typical signs of Teething. Call your doctor.
Baby Teeth are Important
Dental health for children from birth to 5 years old.
Plaque grows in the baby's mouth even before the first tooth erupts and it is important to start good hygiene habits early. Baby teeth are important for eating, talking, smiling, and holding a place for adult teeth.
Your baby's first visit to the dentist should occur at the age of one year, or when the first teeth appear
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Help your child learn good dental habits • Continue to help your child brush until the age of 8 •Once a month, lift your baby's top lip to check for
cavities. Look at the front and back of the top four
teeth, especially around the gum line. If you see
white or brown spots, take your baby to the dentist.
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•Wean your baby from the bottle by 9 to 12 months • A sippy cup should only be used for water • Never dip a soother in syrup, honey, or other sweeteners before giving it to your baby. This can cause cavities. • Do not put your baby's soother or spoon in your mouth; this will pass bacteria that cause cavities. • Begin flossing once a day when your child has teeth
that are touching Help your child learn good eating habits • Give your child healthy foods and snacks like
fruits, vegetables, cheese and white milk Offer your child tap water for thirst between meals |
Need more information?
Talk to your dentist or dental hygienist or call
the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at
613-580-6744.
10/2010, ottawa.ca/health I ottawa.ca/sante 613-580-6744, I TTY/ATS: 613-580-965
Birth to Five Years
Patient Fact Sheet Dental health care for children five and under is essential for developing proper oral health habits that will lead to a lifetime of exemplary oral health care. Here’s how you can ensure your child has healthy teeth in the future: 1. Understand that first teeth are vital to permanent teeth development.
Your child’s first teeth are vital in helping your child eat and learn to speak properly. Healthy teeth are also important for a child to develop a good self-image. The baby teeth hold a space in the jaw for the adult teeth and guide them into position. Some first teeth provide a proper chewing surface until age twelve or thirteen. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the adult tooth (which replaces it) may not be guided into the proper position and may cause adult teeth to come in crooked or crowded.
2. Start with positive infant feeding habits and good nutrition.
Provide a varied and healthy diet to ensure that your child gets sufficient amounts of minerals, calcium and phosphorus, and vitamins A, C and D to ensure proper tooth development and strength. Practice smart snacking; choose something without sugar – nuts and seeds, cheese or pizza – for your child’s between-meal snacks and save the sweets for mealtimes when increased saliva flow helps neutralize the effects of sugar.
3. Guard against baby bottle decay and excessive thumb-sucking.
Baby bottle decay can occur when a baby falls asleep with a bottle containing a sweet liquid like juice, formula or milk. Even drinks that are good for your baby contain different types of sugar that can be harmful to baby teeth. When allowed to pool during sleep, sugary or carbohydrate-rich liquids can lead to cavities, tooth loss, infections or more serious problems. Watch for dull white spots or lines on the teeth, particularly on the tongue side. Dark or discoloured teeth may be the sign of a more serious problem. To avoid baby bottle decay, use only water in your infant’s bottle at bedtime and do not dip your child’s pacifier in sweet liquids such as honey or sugar.
While it is true that sucking is one of babies’ natural reflexes – relaxing, comforting and feeding them – the need for sucking usually decreases after the age of two or three and has minimal long-term effects on permanent teeth. But sometimes, prolonged and vigorous sucking after the age of five can cause problems with dental development. If you are concerned about your child’s sucking, talk to your dentist.
4. Brush and floss your child’s teeth until he or she is able.
A child’s teeth need to be brushed and gums massaged when teething starts and the first tooth appears. It is good practice to clean the area of the gums where there aren’t any teeth with a wet face cloth. For children under three, brush your child’s teeth with a child-sized toothbrush and plain water. For children over three, use only a pea-size amount of toothpaste but ensure your child spits rather than swallows the toothpaste. When your child has the manual dexterity, encourage your child to brush his or her own teeth, but you should brush them yourself afterwards to ensure that a good and thorough job is done.
Flossing is also important for baby teeth because it enables you to clean between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t reach and where most cavities and gum disease start. You will probably have to floss for them until they are eight or nine years old because of the greater co-ordination necessary.
5. Schedule your child’s first dental visit sooner than later.
The first visit with the dentist should take place as soon as the first tooth is erupted. It is important to introduce a child to the dentist before a problem develops so your child can develop positive feelings about his or her dentist. You want your child to be relaxed and happy rather than frightened and in discomfort and you want to be able to discuss any dental care issues you may have. Visit the dentist every six months to check for cavities and proper tooth development.
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Remember that, as a parent, you have a vital role to play as teacher and motivator. With your support, your child can develop excellent oral health habits that will last a lifetime.
