Which of the Following Promotes Baby Bottle Caries and Ear Infections?

How to Prevent Molar Decay in Your Baby

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Baby teeth are of import. If baby teeth are lost too early on, the teeth that are left may move and not leave whatever room for adult teeth to come in. Likewise, if molar decay is not prevented, it tin be costly to treat, cause hurting, and lead to life-threatening infections.

Tooth disuse(chosen early childhood caries) is the nigh common chronic infectious disease of childhood. Tooth decay may also be called nursing caries or infant bottle tooth decay.

Salubrious dental habits should begin early because tooth disuse can develop as soon as the first tooth comes in. Here is information for parents and caregivers from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) near causes of tooth decay, signs of tooth disuse, and how to foreclose molar decay.

Causes of Tooth Disuse in Babies

Tooth decay develops when a baby's mouth is infected by acid-producing bacteria. Parents and caregivers tin pass bacteria to babies through saliva. For case, bacteria is spread by sharing saliva on spoons or cups, testing foods earlier feeding them to babies, and cleaning off a pacifier in the parent'due south or caregiver's oral fissure.

Tooth decay too develops when the child'south teeth and gums are exposed to whatsoever liquid or food other than water for long periods or frequently throughout the twenty-four hours. Natural or added sugars in the liquid or food are inverse to acid by bacteria in the mouth. This acid and so dissolves the outer office of the teeth, causing them to disuse.

The most common fashion this happens is when parents put their children to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, juice(fifty-fifty when mixed with water), soft drinks(soda, pop), sugar water, or sugared drinks. It tin can also occur when children are allowed to oftentimes potable anything other than water from a sippy cup or canteen during the mean solar day or night. Milk should be served only with meals and not offered throughout the 24-hour interval, at nap time or at bedtime. Although extended and frequent breastfeeding alone does not crusade tooth decay, all breastfeeding mothers should be aware of and follow oral hygiene, fluoride, preventive dental care, and good for you diet recommendations.

Signs of Tooth Decay in Babies

Tooth decay might first announced as white spots at the gum line on the upper front end teeth. These spots are hard to see at first—even for a child's medico or dentist—without proper equipment. A child with tooth disuse needs to exist examined and treated early on to finish the disuse from spreading and to prevent further damage.

How to Prevent Molar Disuse in Babies

Have the following steps to prevent molar disuse:

• Take adept intendance of your ain oral health even before your infant is born. Information technology is important and OK to meet a dentist for oral care while you are meaning.
• Whether you choose to breastfeed or bottle-feed,it is important to take proficient care of your baby's teeth.
• Birth to 12 months: Keep your baby'south mouth clean by gently wiping the gums with a make clean infant washcloth. In one case you see the outset teeth, gently brush using a soft baby toothbrush and a smear(grain of rice)of fluoride toothpaste.
• 12 to 36 months: Brush your child's teeth 2 times per mean solar day for two minutes. Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste until your child's third birthday. The all-time times to brush are after breakfast and before bed.
• Never put your child to bed with a bottle or food. This not only exposes your child'due south teeth to sugars but can also put your child at risk for ear infections and choking.
• Practice not utilize a canteen or sippy cup as a pacifier or let your kid walk effectually with or beverage from one for long periods. If your child wants to have the canteen or sippy loving cup in between meals, fill information technology with only h2o.
• Check to see if your h2o is fluoridated. Your child volition benefit from drinking water with fluoride in it. If your tap water comes from a well or another non-fluoridated source, your child's dr. or dentist may want to have a water sample tested for natural fluoride content. If your tap water does not have enough fluoride, your kid's doc or dentist may prescribe a fluoride supplement. He or she may also apply fluoride varnish to your child'due south teeth to protect them from decay.
• Teach your child to drink from a regular cup  every bit shortly as possible, preferably by 12 to 15 months of age. Drinking from a cup is less probable to cause liquid to collect around the teeth. As well, a cup cannot be taken to bed.
• If your kid must have a bottle or sippy cup for long periods, fill it with water just. During car rides, offer merely water if your child is thirsty.
• Limit the amount of sweet or sticky foods  your child eats, such as candy, gummies, cookies, Fruit Roll-Ups, or cookies. Saccharide is in foods like crackers and chips as well. These foods are specially bad if your child snacks on them a lot. They should be eaten but at mealtime. Teach your child to utilise his tongue to make clean food immediately off the teeth.
• Serve  juice  simply during meals or non at all. The AAP does not recommend juice for babies younger than half-dozen months. If juice is given to babies between half dozen to 12 months, information technology should be express to four ounces per day and should be diluted with water(half water, half juice). For children ane to 6 years, any juice served should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces per mean solar day.
• Make an date to have your kid meet the dentist before the age of 1. If yous have concerns, the dentist can see your kid sooner. Find a pediatric dentist in your surface area on the American University of Pediatric Dentistry Web site or insurekidsnow.gov​. If no dentist is available to come across your child by age 1, your pediatrician can look inside of your child's mouth, apply fluoride varnish, and talk with you lot about how to go on her salubrious.

Remember

Tooth decay can be prevented. Talk with your child's medico or dentist if yous come across whatever sign of decay in your child's teeth or if you lot have questions about your child's teeth. With the right care, your child can grow up to take healthy teeth for a lifetime of smiles.

The AAP recommends that:

• All infants receive oral health take chances assessments during well-kid visits starting at 6 months of historic period and periodic fluoride varnish application from the fourth dimension the first tooth erupts through v years of age.
• All children should be referred to a dentist as early as 6 months of age to found a dental home. If a dentist is not available, talk with your pediatrician about how to maintain your kid's oral health and find a dental home.
• All children in their early on toddler years should have a thorough initial dental exam and regular dental care whenever possible.
• Parents should limit food and drink exposure over the grade of the mean solar day to 3 meals and 2 snacks(with healthy food choices and express juice). More frequent exposure to sugars in foods and drinks makes it more likely that children will develop decay.
• Parents should brush their children's teeth with fluoride toothpaste as soon as they can see the start tooth coming in(erupting).

Additional Information:

• Brushing Up on Oral Health: Its Never Too Early To Start
• FAQs Fluoride and Children
• Healthy Children Radio: Early Oral Wellness For Infants & Toddlers (Sound)​

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Last Updated

9/8/2015

Source

How to Prevent Tooth Disuse in Your Baby (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 09/2015)

The information independent on this Web site should not exist used equally a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may exist variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Which of the Following Promotes Baby Bottle Caries and Ear Infections?

Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/teething-tooth-care/Pages/How-to-Prevent-Tooth-Decay-in-Your-Baby.aspx

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