You might find it difficult to believe that even babies are prone to dental caries and there are several thousands of reported cases a year.
If left unattended, early childhood caries can cause more serious problems.
It is very important that proper dental hygiene practices are established early on to avoid dental problems.
The first tooth makes it appearance when the baby is between three to eight months of age.
And as the other teeth start coming out, the most commonly affected are the four upper teeth.
The tongue manages to offer some level of protection to all the other teeth in the lower rows and in the back.
Dental caries in babies can be identified by white spots or stains on the teeth.
As soon as you notice these spots, take your baby to a dentist so that it can be attended to before it becomes worse.
Many people think that as the baby is going to lose its teeth anyway, why bother a little baby with a dental visit.
That would be the worst decision you can take.
Ignoring a baby's problematic teeth will not make the caries go away.
In fact, if no remedial measures are taken, your baby runs the risk of losing teeth prematurely.
Premature loss of baby teeth can cause misaligned growth of the permanent teeth that follow.
It can also cause difficulty in pronunciation and normal speech, chewing and eating, and also could cause the face to be disfigured.
The main cause for dental caries is the use of feeding bottles.
Many parents are happy to let their little one go to sleep sucking on the bottle.
Don't use the feeding bottle as a pacifier as it exposes the baby's teeth to prolonged contact with sugary substances found in milk and juices.
If you have to leave the bottle in to get your baby to sleep, then fill it up with water instead.
The sugars from juices and milk combine with plaque to produce acids that, over time, dissolve the teeth and cause other problems.
Avoid giving your baby soda and other soft drinks that are loaded with sugar.
You can give your baby healthy snacks like raw fruits and vegetables in addition to milk.
Although milk contains a lot of sugar, it definitely has several good health benefits and better than other drinks.
After your baby is done drinking milk, take a clean soft cloth or wet gauze and wipe the teeth.
Try to shift your baby to small cups as soon as possible.
Using cups will definitely reduce the quantity of sugar left in the mouth.
Breast milk also contains sugar so avoid letting your baby sleep through the night at your breast.
It is never too early to take your baby for a dental check up.
The first visit should ideally be when the first tooth comes out.
This should be followed by regular visits and religiously follow all the dental hygiene practices taught by the dentist.
You just might be able to save your baby from the trauma of early dental caries.
If left unattended, early childhood caries can cause more serious problems.
It is very important that proper dental hygiene practices are established early on to avoid dental problems.
The first tooth makes it appearance when the baby is between three to eight months of age.
And as the other teeth start coming out, the most commonly affected are the four upper teeth.
The tongue manages to offer some level of protection to all the other teeth in the lower rows and in the back.
Dental caries in babies can be identified by white spots or stains on the teeth.
As soon as you notice these spots, take your baby to a dentist so that it can be attended to before it becomes worse.
Many people think that as the baby is going to lose its teeth anyway, why bother a little baby with a dental visit.
That would be the worst decision you can take.
Ignoring a baby's problematic teeth will not make the caries go away.
In fact, if no remedial measures are taken, your baby runs the risk of losing teeth prematurely.
Premature loss of baby teeth can cause misaligned growth of the permanent teeth that follow.
It can also cause difficulty in pronunciation and normal speech, chewing and eating, and also could cause the face to be disfigured.
The main cause for dental caries is the use of feeding bottles.
Many parents are happy to let their little one go to sleep sucking on the bottle.
Don't use the feeding bottle as a pacifier as it exposes the baby's teeth to prolonged contact with sugary substances found in milk and juices.
If you have to leave the bottle in to get your baby to sleep, then fill it up with water instead.
The sugars from juices and milk combine with plaque to produce acids that, over time, dissolve the teeth and cause other problems.
Avoid giving your baby soda and other soft drinks that are loaded with sugar.
You can give your baby healthy snacks like raw fruits and vegetables in addition to milk.
Although milk contains a lot of sugar, it definitely has several good health benefits and better than other drinks.
After your baby is done drinking milk, take a clean soft cloth or wet gauze and wipe the teeth.
Try to shift your baby to small cups as soon as possible.
Using cups will definitely reduce the quantity of sugar left in the mouth.
Breast milk also contains sugar so avoid letting your baby sleep through the night at your breast.
It is never too early to take your baby for a dental check up.
The first visit should ideally be when the first tooth comes out.
This should be followed by regular visits and religiously follow all the dental hygiene practices taught by the dentist.
You just might be able to save your baby from the trauma of early dental caries.