7 Tips for Toddler's Teeth

1.    Diet.

• o   Milk and juice should be given only at mealtimes and snack times.
• o   A child needs three meals a day and two snacks.
• o   The child's thirst should bequenched by drinking water before bedtime and throughout the day and night.
• o   Serve nutritional snacks and not the salty or sweet kind that have little nutritional value.
• o   Fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, andyogurt are all very healthy and nutritious options-giving these foods will influence their choice of snacks for the rest of their lives.

2.     Cavities travel from tooth to tooth andfrom mouth to mouth.

• o   Children “catch” decay gems from theirparents/caregivers. Follow These Rules to reduce the chance of thistransmission:
• o   Do not eat from the same utensil youuse to feed your child. Some parents sample the food first to show their childthat it tastes good. Refrain from doing this as your saliva may contain thesebacteria.
• o   Make sure your own mouth is inexcellent oral health. Any untreated dental disease can increase the number of these germs in your mouth. Show your child the importance of good oral hygiene by taking good care of yourself.
• o   Do not place your child's pacifierin your mouth to clean it if it has been dropped. Rinse it off with water or wipe it off instead before giving it back to your child. Never dip the pacifier in any sugar-containing liquid or food.
• o   Try not to blow on your child's foodto cool it -- your breath may contain small droplets of saliva, which contain these bacteria.

3.    Sippy cups.

• o   The child can drink from a bottle orsippy cup throughout the day as long as it only contains water. But they should be weaned off the bottle by age 1.
• o   Offer the child a cup instead. Ifthe child uses the bottle as a pacifier to help them go to sleep, fill it only with water.

4.    Brushing and flossing.

• o    Before any teeth have erupted, theparent/caregiver should wipe out the child's mouth after every feeding. They can use a washcloth, gauze, or special wipes containing xylitol.
• o   Once a tooth has erupted, theyshould use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush to clean the tooth. If two teeth are touching, then flossing should begin.
• o   Parents can use fluoride-containingtoothpaste when they brush. A thin smear of fluoride-containing toothpaste be used on a child under the age of 2. After age 2, use a small, pea-sized amountof fluoridated toothpaste.
• o   Parents should keep the toothpasteout of their child's reach, and young children should not be allowed to placethe toothpaste on their brush.

5.    Fluoride. Parents should be asked about the source of their water.. Athorough evaluation of all possible sources of fluoride needs to be completed before fluoride supplements are prescribed.

6.    Medicalhistory. If in a one-on-one situation,review the medical, social, and family histories:

• o   Discuss any Birth issues, such asprematurity, which can cause weakened teeth.
• o   Medical diseases increase a child'ssusceptibility to decay
• o   Developmental difficulties can also increase cavities
• o   Special health-care needs can increasecavities
• o   Ask the parent/caregiver about theirown oral health, decay, and dental treatment.
• o   Decay in siblings increases the cavitiesf or them all.

7.    Examination.

• o   The dentist can perform a knee-to-knee exam anywhere in the office. Simply place your knees up againstthe parent/caregiver's knees, forming a table. Lay the child with their legswrapped around the parent/caregiver's waist, with the parent/caregiver holdingthe child's hands.
• o   Then simply lift the upper lip andlook for:
  • 1.    Plaque
  • 2.    Decay,
  • 3.    Demineralization White Spots
  • 4.    Abnormalities in the mouth
  • 5.    Evaluate soft tissues as well as theteeth.