Watching your child’s teeth emerge from his gummy grin is such a pleasure.  First those bottom teeth pop through, then then the top front ones. Finally, a toothy smile appears, a little like a jack-o-lantern, but so precious.  You want to do everything you can to keep those tiny teeth healthy and white. But the question is, do you know what you need to do? Our Park Avenue pediatric dental team can give you some great ideas to start with.

Establish healthy habits. Think it’s too hard to brush those little teeth? Once your child is old enough to hold and move the brush, give her a turn to try, then you follow up behind her. You can continue this pattern, giving her a little more responsibility over time, until she’s old enough to brush on her own.

No bottles in bed.  It might seem like a good idea to let your child sip a bottle of milk in bed. But lactose is a sugar; leaving it on the teeth overnight invites bacteria to grow and thrive, leading to serious dental infections. Make sure the toothbrush or a cup of water is the last thing in their mouth before bedtime.

Watch for finger and thumb sucking. Before teeth come in, thumb sucking is an okay habit to self soothe. But when the teeth begin to break through the gums, sucking can start to make an indentation in the jaw, pushing the teeth backwards. Not only can this ruin the alignment of the teeth, making braces necessary, but it can also change orofacial anatomy or impact speech patterns as your child gets older.

Finally, bring your child in for checkups every six months. When you establish a relationship with the pediatric dental team at Park Smiles NYC Pediatrics, we’ll be able to track growth and development and make your child feel at ease in the dentist’s chair!