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Oral Health Information
A Healthy Mouth for Your Baby
Healthy teeth are important—even baby teeth. Children need healthy teeth to
help them chew and to speak clearly. And baby teeth hold space for adult teeth.
This booklet can help you keep your baby's mouth healthy and give him a
healthy start!
Protect Your Baby's Teeth With Fluoride
Fluoride (said like floor-eyed) protects teeth from tooth decay. It can even
heal early decay.
Fluoride is in the drinking water of many towns and cities.
Ask a dentist or doctor if your water has fluoride in it. If it doesn't, ask
about other kinds of fluoride (such as fluoride varnish or drops) that can
help keep your baby's teeth healthy.
Check and Clean Your Baby's Teeth
Check your baby's teeth.
Healthy teeth should be all one colour. If you see spots or stains on the teeth,
take your baby to a dentist.
Clean your baby's teeth.
Clean them as soon as they come in with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush. Clean the teeth at least
once a day. It's best to clean them right before bedtime.
At about age 2 (or sooner if a dentist or doctor suggests it) you should start putting fluoride toothpaste on
your child's toothbrush. Use only a pea-sized drop of toothpaste about as big as this—
Young children cannot get their teeth clean by themselves. Until they are 7 or 8 years old, you will need to
help them brush. Try brushing their teeth first and then letting them finish.
Feed Your Baby Healthy Food
Choose foods without a lot of sugar in them.
Give your child fruits and vegetables for snacks.
Save cookies and other treats for special occasions

Don't Put Your Baby to Bed With a
Bottle
Milk, formula, juice, and other drinks such as
soda all have sugar in them. If sugary liquids
stay on your baby's teeth too long, it can lead to
tooth decay. (And decayed teeth can cause pain
for your baby.)
What's one of the most important things you can do to keep your baby from getting cavities?
Avoid putting him to bed with a bottle—at night or at naptime. (If you do put your baby to bed with a
bottle, fill it only with water.)
Here are some other things you can do:
Between feedings, don't give your baby a bottle or sippy cup filled with sweet drinks to carry around.
Near his first birthday, teach your child to drink from an open cup.
If your baby uses a pacifier, don't dip it in anything sweet like sugar or honey.
Take Your Child to the Dentist
Your child should have a dental visit by his first birthday. At this visit,
the dentist will:
Check your child's teeth.
Show you the best way to clean your child's teeth.
Talk to you about other things such as a healthy diet and fluoride that can
keep your child's mouth healthy
Ann Talks With Maria
Ann and her friend Maria were watching Maria's children play.
"What are you doing?" asked Ann.
"I'm cleaning my baby's teeth," said Maria.
"But your baby hardly has any teeth!" said
Ann.
"Yes, but the dentist said there are things I can
do to keep my baby from getting cavities,"
said Maria.
"But don't baby teeth just fall out?" asked Ann.
"Yes, but before they fall out baby teeth can decay and cause pain for the baby. And baby teeth are
important—they hold space for adult teeth," said Maria.
"What else did the dentist say?" asked Ann.
"She told me that fluoride protects teeth. She also said to feed my baby healthy foods and not to put my
baby to bed with a bottle," said Maria.
"When do you have to start taking care of a baby's teeth?" asked Ann.
"As soon as they come in. Teeth can start to decay as soon as they appear in the mouth," said Maria.
"I'll have to start thinking of those things soon!" said Ann.
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/ToothDecay/AHealthyMouthforYourBaby.htm

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