The ADA and Dr. Wolpo recommends that your child be seen within the first six months after the eruption of the first tooth and no later than the child’s first birthday. We will check for any decay and developmental problems. Dr. Wolpo will teach you how to clean your child’s teeth daily and assist you in identifying your child’s fluoride needs. Children at this early age are very cooperative and teaching them how to regularly care for their own teeth, fostering a lifetime of excellent oral health.
You should begin cleaning your infant’s mouth during the first few days after birth. After each feeding wipe the baby’s mouth with a damp washcloth or gauze to remove plague.
Decay can appear on the teeth as soon as they erupt in the mouth. A severe type of problem is baby bottle caries (tooth decay). It is a coalition formed by allowing your baby to nurse continuously during the night or naptime. Liquids such as milk, juice, formula, or sugared water can cause baby bottle caries. Continuous use of these liquids results in the mouths’ normal flora producing acids, which attack the teeth. Severe damage can result. If your child must have a bottle as a comforter at bedtime it must contain only water. Sugars, honey or sweeteners should never be added.
Teething Thumb Sucking
Teething
Teething is a normal part of the developmental process. We’ve all been through it. It is painful and your child can have sore and tender gums from it. Teething pain usually occurs between 4 months and 3 years of age. The discomfort can be soothed by gently rubbing the gums with a finger, cool wet gauze or a teething ring, which has been placed in the freezer. Teething does not cause fever. If your child’s temperature becomes elevated it should be addressed as a separate medical issue. You need to contact your pediatrician or family doctor.
Interested in learning how your child's teeth develop?
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Thumb sucking
Babies and smaller children often develop habits such as thumb, finger or pacifier sucking. They fulfill important needs of the young child. There is no reason for concern unless they continue for too long. How should you deal with a child that exhibits such behavior?
Most children discontinue the habits on their own between two or four years of age and suffer no ill effects. If continued for longer periods the upper front teeth may begin to misalign pointing outward and upward.
With regular visits to our practice we can monitor your child’s mouth for development to catch any abnormalities early before they become serious. For most children there is no concern until permanent teeth begin arriving. If a problem develops many children voluntarily correct the habit when the situation is adequately explained to them by their parents and Dr. Wolpo and/or his staff. In those few cases where this does not work appliances are available which make sucking difficult.
There is not much difference between the effects of a thumb, finger or pacifier. Many people say kicking the habit will be easier if the child is learned using a pacifier instead of a finger. The parent will probably have more control over the pacifier than the child’s hands. To break the habit try reasoning, peer pressure, interference methods such as sock or tape over the hands or fingers to stop the behavior.
There is no doubt that it is beneficial to develop the way nature intended. From a dental health standpoint, breast-feeding or proper bottle-feeding will allow good oral and facial development to occur. If proper feeding methods are used the need for oral gratification is greatly satisfied, and will help reduce the need for supplementary thumb sucking. If your child needs additional oral gratification, use an orthodontic pacifier will work as a positive supplement.
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