Dental care for babies and toddlers is
important to prevent Early Childhood Caries (ECC)
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a severe form of dental
caries that can destroy the milk teeth of toddlers and preschool children. Babies
who have heavy loads of bacteria in their mouths are at risk. Certain faulty
dietary habits such as excessive sweets and milk intake also add to the risk
for developing ECC. Hence dental care for babies and toddlers mainly aims at:
1. Minimizing the cavities causing bacteria by proper oral
hygiene maintenance
2. Following the correct dietary habits
Start it during pregnancy itself! Wondering why?
Though the baby acquires the cavities
causing bacteria mostly from the mother, father is also in close contact with the baby and may
also pass some bacteria to baby. Hence both parents should maintain optimum
oral hygiene for their baby’s healthy teeth.
Recommendations for
parent’s oral health:
1. Visit your dentist for routine check ups.
2. Get the appropriate treatment done for
all existing cavities.
3. Optimize oral hygiene at home by twice
daily brushing (must at night!) and flossing.
4. Take dietary precautions for avoiding
frequent snacking of sweets.
5. Ensure adequate fluoride exposure by
using fluoridated toothpaste and a mouthwash as per your dentist’s prescription.
Recommendations for baby’s oral health:
1.
Clean
your baby’s gums and tongue regularly even before eruption of teeth.
2.
Start
cleaning teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts.
3.
Avoid
giving sugar-containing beverages (e.g, milk with sugar added, juices) in a
baby bottle.
4.
Do not put
baby to sleep with a bottle filled with milk or liquids containing sugars.
5.
On demand
breast-feeding should be avoided after the first primary tooth begins to erupt
and other dietary carbohydrates are introduced.
6.
Start using
small amount of fluoride toothpaste as the child learns to spit.
7.
Take your
baby for the first routine dental visit around his/her 1st birthday.
Learn
more about the details of each of these recommendations in the next blog!
