Early Dental Care

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Your Federal Way Dentist advises that it’s never too early to start proper dental care. Indeed, even before your child’s teeth begin to come in, there are measures you should be taking to help assure a strong and healthy mouth well into his or her adulthood.

One of the biggest risks to a baby’s mouth is something called “bottle mouth”. This is the pattern of gum disease that comes about when a child is allowed to fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth. Much of what your baby drinks, including milk and sugary juices, poses as much of a threat to his or her gums as a mouthful of candy. Meanwhile, since the mouth is less able to defend itself when you fall asleep, the sugary drink is able to pool and make quick work within the gums. This seriously affects how the child’s primary teeth will come in, which can have long-standing consequences for many years down the line.

In order to assure a healthy mouth for your baby, take the bottle away when it is time to go to sleep. You can also wipe his or her gums clean with a bit of gauze or a delicate washcloth after each feeding. Start brushing the teeth when they come in by using a baby’s toothbrush, without toothpaste, and schedule his or her first dental appointment by the time the child turns one year old.

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