The 5 Mistakes You’re Making with Your Child’s Teeth

When you bcome a parent there is an unsaid job you take and that is protecting your childs teeth. Below are 5 mistakes new parents may make.

1. Snacking too often

When your child eats sugary or starchy foods, their teeth are under attack for up to an hour.  Saliva can take up to 60 minutes to neutralize the acidity in their mouth.  If they’re snacking constantly, their mouth is under attack more often.

2. Not breaking free from the bottle

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is caused by frequent, prolonged exposure to drinks that contain sugar. It most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but can affect other teeth as well.  Babies should not be put to bed with a bottle containing anything but water. If they fall asleep with the bottle their mouth, their teeth are under attack from bacteria all night long.

3. Not encouraging your child to stop sucking

Pacifiers and thumb sucking are generally used for comfort, so parents need to encourage kids to stop sucking before their permanent teeth come in, or between the ages of 2 and 4. Prolonged sucking can affect the shape of the mouth or how the teeth are lining up. While your child is sucking on a pacifier or their fingers, always give them a clean one.  Don’t clean it with your own saliva, as you can pass on bacteria from your mouth.

4. Forgetting to floss

Without flossing, you’re not cleaning 40% of your teeth.  As soon as your child gets two teeth that touch, it’s time to start flossing.

5. Starting too late

Okay, so your baby doesn’t have any teeth yet. That doesn’t mean you can skip the oral health care. Even before teeth break through the gums, you should be wiping their gums clean with a moist piece of gauze. Dental care starts on day 1 and never ends.

Don’t worry — it’s not too late to start protecting your childs teeth! Sign up for our newsletter to receive tips, tricks, & reminders to set them on the path to a lifelong healthy smile.