How do families prevent dental cavities?
A. Find a dental home when your child is born. Visiting a pediatric dentist for guidance at this time is very important. This is when we discuss oral hygiene, how to care for your baby’s mouth, what to expect when teething occurs, how to avoid trauma as your child learns to crawl and take those first steps, bottles, pacifiers and proper diet counseling among other topics. Proper feeding habits should be established for young infants. The goal is get your baby used to separating eating and sleeping. This pattern is very important once the teeth erupt. Cleaning your baby’s mouth after feeding with a soft cloth will make tooth brushing seem more familiar later. Begin brushing your child’s teeth at least twice a day as soon as they erupt and continue to help with brushing through the toddler years. Most children will learn how to brush their teeth by age 4-5. However, parental supervision is necessary to make sure brushing is done properly. Begin flossing your child’s teeth as soon as you
