Orthodontist Washington DC Your Baby and Dental Health

As first time parents, it is quite common to expect that you will be busy reading up all the books and information you can get your hands on baby care and spending hours shopping for baby’s things. Parents want to know all about how to care for their baby, how to give bath and what kind of food to fee and so on.

Post delivery of course the total time is taken up in changing nappies, nursing and watching the baby’s developments. Babies grow up very fast and in no time they learn to recognize your face and smile.

One aspect that parents normally tend to give very less attention to is about learning how to take care of the oral hygiene of their baby. There are very few parents who are aware of this and focus on ensuring they inculcate healthy habits. You have got to start maintaining the oral hygiene in your baby from the time you start nursing him or her.Until the age of eight years or so when the children are likely to be able to brush and maintain their dental hygiene independently, it is become imperative that parents take care of their baby’s dental health.

While nursing the baby, the mother should always wipe the mouth with soft wet cloth and ensure the area is dry. This area is prone to growth of bacteria if kept in unhygienic conditions.

Often you will notice that the babies get into the habit of sucking their thumb. This is a natural habit that they pickup and you often see them sucking their thumb before falling asleep. When the parents introduce pacifiers after one year, this habit recedes in most cases. How ever some children continue to suck their thumb. In some cases continuation of this habit can create a problem for the child. For one thing the mouth is susceptible to growth of bacteria. Secondly it is opined that the teeth that begin to grow might be protruded. If this habit continues with your child, you should consult a pediatric dentist and seek professional advice.

The primary teeth in children begins to appear from the six months onwards. The entire primary teeth set grows and is in place around the age of three. The permanent teeth replace the primary teeth by the age of six.

This is the time when the permanent teeth are beginning to emerge that the parents should watch out for any irregularities or problems. Dental structural irregularities are very common at this stage. You come across several defects including over crowded structure of teeth as well as jagged teeth etc.Depending upon the tooth quality there can be rough scales on the teeth or groves etc. By consulting the dentist right in the beginning you can minimize the damage to the tooth. Doctors can help take preventive action immediate and correct the anomalies to protect the teeth. To prevent dental damage due to bacterial infection, they can use sealants and other products to cover up the groves and protect the teeth.

By taking preventive measures in time and following regular dental checkup you will be able to ensure that your child’s dental health is maintained and he grows strong teeth to last a lifetime.