How to give your baby good teeth? As early as before the baby’s teeth erupt, we should start to give him oral care, and gradually instill in him the correct way to brush his teeth as he grows older and develop good dental care habits. When the baby’s teeth are not properly cared for, cavities and decay will appear, which may then lead to nutritional and even speech development problems. Not only that, but the permanent teeth that grow out afterwards will also be affected, which will probably lead to crooked permanent teeth. As you can see, taking good care of your baby’s teeth is not to be underestimated. You may be thinking, “I can’t teach that jumpy, active, messy child to brush his teeth! Don’t worry, here are the secrets! This article will explain in detail and may help you to ease your worries and make you feel that it is an easy job to give your baby oral care and guide them to brush their teeth. 1, to the newborn baby check the oral cavity After the baby is born, you can check their oral cavity. There are very few little babies who already have teeth at birth. You can stick a clean finger in your baby’s mouth and gently touch the gums to feel if your baby already has teeth, a raised gum line or a slight inflammation. Check your baby’s teething regularly. Each baby’s teething rate is different; some babies’ teeth take up to several weeks to erupt from the gums, while others can have two teeth in a weekend. Check your baby’s gums once a week to make sure you can spot the new teeth in time for you to start brushing your baby’s teeth. 2, pre-teething care Before your baby’s milk teeth erupt, you should start to give him daily oral hygiene care. Gently wipe your baby’s gums with a moistened soft gauze wrapped around your finger, this will drive away the bacteria on the gums. Starting at two months of age, you can clean your baby’s gums at least once a day. You can also increase the frequency of cleaning if you feel the need to do so. But be careful not to clean more than once, as this can irritate your baby’s gums, which can lead to gum sensitivity or tenderness. 3. Clean the first milk teeth Clean your baby’s milk teeth by wrapping a clean gauze around your fingertips. In the early stages of teething, you can use gauze instead of a toothbrush to clean your baby’s baby teeth. Don’t forget to wipe the tongue every time you clean your baby’s teeth, because bacteria can build up there. 4. Start using a toothbrush Once your baby has a few teeth, you can buy a soft baby toothbrush for your baby. Especially when the molars come in, you should change the brushing tool from gauze to a toothbrush. The bristles should be very soft and in no more than three rows. 1 year olds should also be using a toothbrush. Do not use toothpaste when you first start brushing, just warm water. The purpose of brushing your baby’s teeth at this time is to acclimate them to the brushing tool, and adding toothpaste at this stage may cause your baby to refuse to use the toothbrush because of discomfort. If your baby shows interest in brushing, then ask him to assist you. You can encourage your baby by letting him also hold the toothbrush handle while you brush his teeth. Once he gets used to it, you can let him brush his own teeth, but you have to be there to supervise him, and you can help him brush again when he is done. If your baby refuses to use the toothbrush at first, you can start by brushing his teeth once a day. After he accepts it, gradually increase the number of brushing sessions until he can brush his teeth after each meal. Show your baby how to brush his teeth. Do we think that the “standard action” of brushing is going up and down, or in a small circle? It doesn’t matter how the toothbrush moves, the most important thing is to brush the teeth thoroughly, up and down, inside and out. It is important to note that children may only brush their visible incisors and often overlook the invisible teeth, so you can play a game of “find the hidden tooth” with them. Remember to clean the tongue as well. 5. Add toothpaste Start with natural swallowable toothpaste (usually with a finger toothbrush), which is safer for babies who can’t spit it out. Such a cleaning tool can be used until the age of 3. Once your baby is a little older, you can add a small amount of toothpaste to them. Note that the amount of toothpaste should only be the size of a pea. Ask your doctor for advice on how to use fluoride toothpaste on your baby. If you decide to use fluoride toothpaste, reduce the amount of toothpaste to the size of a pea at first to prevent your baby from getting too much fluoride. Once your baby is 3 years old and can spit water, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. If your baby has not yet learned to sip and spit, remember to let him drink water after brushing. This dilutes the toothpaste, especially fluoride toothpaste, that your baby has swallowed. Letting your baby’s mouth go down a little while brushing will also help the toothpaste residue to flow out. 6. Encourage your baby to brush his teeth by himself When your baby has the ability to brush his teeth by himself, you should start to guide him to brush his teeth by himself. However, try to control the time of brushing, too long will lead to boredom or loss of interest. A 2-minute brushing time is appropriate. Give your baby a toothbrush with his favorite cartoon character to encourage him to brush his teeth. Making up cute songs, playing brushing games with your baby, counting his teeth, or letting him brush in front of a mirror can make brushing more fun for your baby. Brush your teeth at the same time as your baby and tell your baby what you are doing so he can follow your lead. Before your baby learns to rinse and spit, remember to give your baby water after brushing. Be sure to show your baby how to spit water more often. Educate your baby on some of the oral care knowledge they need to master. For example, let them learn to keep their toothbrush clean. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that in addition to rinsing toothpaste solution and tiny food crumbs left on the toothbrush with water, you should store the toothbrush with the head up to let it dry naturally. Babies love to play in water, so getting them to rinse their toothbrushes seems like a no-brainer. Whenever your baby is trying to learn to brush their teeth, you should give them some special rewards. For example, read them a book they love to read, play with their favorite toy or participate in an activity they enjoy. The rewards can be varied, so see which one motivates your little one the most. 7. Floss your baby’s teeth When your baby has two teeth growing next to each other, you can floss him. It is recommended that you floss in places that are not easily cleaned by a toothbrush. For locations like the incisors, which are better cleaned, a toothbrush is fine. 8.Take your baby to see the dentist for the first time Arrange for your baby to see the dentist for the first time when he is one year old. This is a good time for the dentist to learn about your baby’s mouth and check them for malocclusions. If you are worried about your baby having oral problems or need advice on your baby’s oral care, you can take him to the dentist before he is one year old. 9, let yourself be your baby’s first dentist Keep an eye on your baby for possible oral conditions. Especially keep an eye on infant tooth decay, which may only affect the upper jaw incisors at first, but will slowly spread to the first molars. Symptoms of tooth decay include changes in tooth color, bouts of tooth pain, intense pain that lasts for several minutes (usually caused by chewing or hot or cold foods), occasional pain, gum sores or bleeding, fever, and white or red swelling near the sore tooth. Learn what causes tooth decay in babies. Baby’s bottle, nursing, and duckbill cups may affect the condition of your baby’s mouth and teeth. Don’t let your baby sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth, and if your baby has developed the habit, fill the bottle with water. Milk, formula, juice and other sweetened beverages contain sugar and putting your baby to bed with these liquids can easily lead to tooth decay. When your baby reaches 1 year old, start teaching him to drink from a cup. Find ways to prevent tooth decay. Reasonable arrangement of diet and nutrition, taking proper oral care and means of prevention are all common methods of cavity prevention Diet is the most important, you can choose some low-sugar drinks and foods for your baby. Replace candy and cookies with fruits and vegetables. It is also necessary to pay attention not to give babies too many dried fruits, such as raisins, which can easily stick in the teeth and lead to tooth decay if they are not brushed out thoroughly.