If you have a baby, it is so important to have a firm grasp of infant oral hygiene practices so that you can care for their teeth and health in the long term.  These practices make a serious difference in preventing tooth decay and mouth irritation, and they will also help your child to learn good oral care habits as they get older.

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OK, now let’s take a look a number of useful guidelines.

You must start caring for your child’s teeth right away after they are born. After your baby is done feeding, make sure to gently wash their mouth with a washcloth to prevent any fungal infection caused by yeast.  This can be developed through constantly sucking on a bottle or breast feeding, which can create a painful yeast infection in the mouth. This condition is called thrush, and white patches will appear on the tongue, gums, and cheeks. Other symptoms may include patches on the face and pain when using a pacifier or breast-feeding.  If this is left untreated, it could also spread to the mother, although the condition is normally not contagious.

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Children normally begin teething at around three months, and signs may include drooling, biting, irritability, a rash on the mouth, loss of appetite, crying, fever, or changes in the bowel movement. It is best to help with the pain of teething by using a cool and clean washcloth to massage the gums. You can also give your baby a cool teething ring, as long as it is age appropriate. Make sure to supervise your baby when using these accessories because they could pose a choking hazard.  You may also want to discuss with your doctor about over-the-counter numbing gels if teething becomes painful for your child.

There are quite a few babies that are born with one or more teeth, and they are normally the lower incisors. The majority of children will grow in their complete set of 20 baby teeth before they are three years old, which is the opportunity to purchase a children’s toothbrush to start to brush their teeth. Make sure that you cleanse the toothbrush without the use of toothpaste, and you may start using toothpaste at around the age of 18 months. Make sure that you choose a child friendly toothpaste that is safe for your child to swallow without any fluoride. There are several brands to choose from in safe children’s toothpaste that won’t cause an issue if they are swallowed.

Last of all, make sure that you are protecting your child’s teeth from decay by monitoring the type of food that they eat due to the fact that it is easy for bacteria to build up on the new baby teeth. You can reduce the amount of sugars and carbohydrates that your child eats to prevent early childhood cavities, and it is also important not to let your child fall asleep with a bottle that contains a sugary juice or milk. This will protect the teeth of your child in the long term so that they will not have to struggle with decay or cavities while they are a baby.