Dental Care for Babies

There is this belief among some people that dental care for babies isn't an important issue because those 'baby' teeth will be replaced by permanent teeth. They believe that because baby teeth fall out, the focus should be on the child's permanent teeth.

It's true that primary teeth fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. But one of the most important reasons to teach proper dental care to children is so that the habits they learn early will stick with them throughout the rest of their lives. If good dental habits aren't in place by the time permanent teeth begin appearing, which is around 6 years of age, developing good habits will be more difficult later on.

Most babies start getting teeth when they are 6 months old. The bottom row central incisors typically are the first to appear, followed by the top row central incisors. All together there are 20 primary teeth and they usually erupt according to a 'schedule' that most infants follow. The last primary teeth to erupt are the second molars and they'll appear between the ages of 2 and 3.

If not properly cared for, an infant's teeth can begin to decay from the moment they first erupt. Infant dental decay is painful and should be avoided. Of course, at only 6 months old, an infant does not have the physical or mental skills needed to brush his teeth. At this stage of life, it's up to the caregiver to clean a baby's teeth using either a toothbrush designed for an infant or a very soft washcloth. Just gently brush or rub the tooth (teeth) once a day, before bed.

Pediatric dentists advise that the first dental visit take place when the baby turns 1. That first visit is important and the dentist will want to ensure your baby is getting fluoride from his drinking water. If not, the dentist can write a prescription for fluoride which will help protect the child's developing teeth from dental decay. If a baby's teeth are showing signs of spotting or staining and the baby has not yet turned one, it's a good idea to visit the dentist sooner.
To keep decay under control, don't give infants sugary drinks, especially at night from a bottle.

During the day, don't fill a baby bottle with sweet drinks to use as a pacifier. Keep in mind that most milk and formula and even fruit drinks contain sugar. Doing any of the above can cause baby bottle tooth decay. It's not a good idea to coat a pacifier with sugar either as that can also lead to decay.

At age 2, children can begin daily brushing using a small dab of fluoride toothpaste. Be sure to supervise the tooth brushing.

At meal and snack time, steer clear of sugary drinks, foods and snacks. Teaching your child early on to eat vegetables and healthy snacks will limit tooth decay and is an excellent way to instill good eating habits.


Infomation provided by Dr. Mariana Conant, she has a Family & Cosmetic dentistry office in Fairfield, CT.

When a patient meets Dr. Mariana and they want a new brighter smile, it feels like they are getting to know someone who understands exactly what they are looking for. Dr. Mariana is accurate in matching esthetic restorations not only to the smile, but also to the lips, complexion, and the overall appearance of each individual. Dr. Mariana has a trained eye that finds each patient the shape and shade that works best for them. Dr. Mariana believes that full mouth restorations can increase a patients quality of life and self-esteem by giving them back function and form, but it is not for everyone. You may sometimes achieve beautiful results with a more conservative approach. Dr. Mariana likes to emphasize that maintaining a proper oral hygiene and visiting the dentist at least once a year is essential for smile beauty.

For more information contact our office today! We can be reached at 203-255-5999

Food and Your Teeth, Info You Need To Know!

Eating sweets is bad for your teeth, but do you know why? Do you know that even eating 'good' foods can be bad for your teeth or that eating at certain times during the day is better than others? If you don't understand that when and what you eat can affect your teeth, then read on.
The problems all revolve around plaque, that sticky, whitish substance that covers your teeth after you eat. As you probably already know, carbohydrates break down into sugars, the fructose, maltose, glucose and lactose that fuel our bodies. We think this process happens after food leaves our mouths, while en route to our digestive tracts.

That's true for many foods, but some foods begin breaking down right in our mouths. These foods are referred to as fermentable carbohydrates. Bacteria living on your teeth use the sugars found in fermentable carbohydrates like cookies, crackers, cake, soft drinks, cereal, even bananas to produce very strong acids.

These acids can cause demineralization, a process by which the minerals inside a tooth's enamel begin to dissolve. Damaging acids are continually produced as long as these foods remain in contact with the tooth bacteria.

That's why sipping soda all afternoon is more damaging than drinking an entire can during your meal and why sticky foods (potato chips, raisins) and foods that get stuck in the crevices of molars can do more damage than foods that don't stick. Those who snack on sugary foods throughout the day also have a higher incidence of tooth decay.

Fortunately, the body can combat demineralization with a process called remineralization. Saliva facilitates the remineralization process by helping to neutralize damaging acids. Therefore, foods and sugar-free gum that help increase saliva are good choices for combating tooth decay. However, when remineralization takes place more slowly than demineralization, in other words when the process is out of balance, tooth decay may still result.

Eating disorders such as binge eating where an individual consumes large quantities of food only to purge them shortly afterwards also causes serious mineral loss because of all the stomach acids that come into the mouth during a purging session. That's why those suffering from eating disorders often experience tooth decay and demineralization.

When it comes to the teeth and your overall state of health, it's a good idea to stick with the food categories and amounts advised by the US government in its updated Food Pyramid. The 'good' foods to choose include whole grains rather than refined grains, non-citrus fruits (citrus contains a lot of acid), dark green leafy vegetables, lean proteins and calcium-rich foods and beverages.
Cheese is a good food to eat for counteracting acids and so are chicken and nuts. Milk contains lots of minerals that can enhance the remineralization process. Fruits with high water content are also good because they promote saliva. Sugar-free gum that contains xylitol is a good choice as are sugar-free hard candies.

You should limit your intake of processed foods, sugary snacks, beverages containing or mixed with sugar and alcoholic beverages. Limit in-between meal snacking, too.

Need more information? Visit us online at http://www.1305dental.com/ or call the office at 203-255-5999. Dr Mariana Conant offers Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Fairfield, CT and has worked in New York City with some of the worlds top dental professionals.