It is critical to establish a strong oral health regimen for your children beginning when they are infants. Here, we’ll go through our top 9 oral health suggestions for newborns and toddlers, so you can make sure they grow up with beautiful, healthy smiles.

9. Never put your infant to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth.

Some milk lingers in the mouth and on the teeth of babies who fall asleep with a bottle. It is not recommended that kids take the bottle to bed because it can cause tooth decay and raise the risk of choking and ear infection.

8. From the age of six months, introduce a cup.

Your baby can transition from a bottle to a cup between the ages of 6 and 12. In fact, by the time a toddler reaches the age of twelve months, he or she should only be drinking from a cup.

7. Water is the best drink for a toddler

Water should be your toddler’s preferred beverage, and they should drink tap water throughout the day. Before ingesting tap water, babies under the age of 12 months should have it boiled and cooled.

6. Babies and toddlers don’t need sweet drinks or fruit juice

Fruit juice and sweet drinks are not suggested for children under the age of 12 months since they can cause tooth rot. It’s worth noting that even fruit juice with “no added sugar” includes natural sugar, which can contribute to tooth damage. Diet soft drinks also contain acids, which can harm teeth.

Soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks, cordial, tea drinks, fruit drinks, and energy drinks are among the sweet drinks to avoid.

5. Healthy meals and snacks are important for healthy teeth

Children should begin eating a wide variety of healthy meals from the age of 12 months, similar to the rest of the family’s diet. They learn about food from their parents and other family members, so setting a good example and instilling healthy habits is critical.

A fascinating fact is that babies have no predilection for sweetness. Because so many typical meals contain sugar, kids acquire accustomed to it when they consume sweet foods and beverages on a daily basis.

4. Milk is also a healthy drink choice

Milk is high in calcium, which aids in the formation of strong and healthy teeth. Children aged 1 to 2 years can drink plain full-fat cow’s milk, while babies under the age of 12 months should drink breastmilk or infant formula.

Low-fat milk is appropriate after the age of two. It’s worth noting that flavored milk may have additional sugar, which can lead to tooth decay.

3. Start cleaning your baby’s teeth when they appear

You can begin cleaning your baby’s teeth as they emerge by wiping them with a soft cloth or brushing them with a small toothbrush and water. Brush your child’s teeth with a pea-sized amount of low-fluoride toothpaste when he or she is 18 months old. After brushing, make sure they spit out the toothpaste but don’t rinse.

Until they are 7 to 8 years old, children will require adult assistance in brushing their teeth and gums twice a day.

2. Book your child in for a dental assessment at or before 2 years of age

A dentist, oral health expert, child health nurse, or doctor can perform your toddler’s first oral health examination. Regular check-ups begin from the age of two, allowing any dental abnormalities to be discovered and treated at an early stage.

1. Oral health is important for the whole family

The bacteria that causes tooth decay is not present in babies when they are born. Did you know that parents and caregivers frequently carry this bacteria on to their children? To assist avoid this, we suggest that you:

• Everyone in the household uses their own toothbrush to brush their teeth twice a day.
• Everyone should have a regular dental checkup, especially pregnant women so that any tooth rot can be treated quickly.
• If anything has been in your mouth, avoid putting it in your baby’s mouth. Sharing spoons or cleaning dummies by putting them in your mouth, for example.