At Westlake Pediatric Dentistry in Austin, Texas, we encourage our patients to take good care of your child’s baby teeth to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles. Dr. Kyle Raymond and our team are happy to share some basic guidelines to help you care for your child’s smile in their formative early years.
In the beginning, cleaning your child’s teeth is easy–simply wipe their gums with a damp washcloth. Once their first tooth comes in, you will want to do the following:
- Moisten a soft-bristled baby toothbrush with water. Once your child turns 2 you can use toothpaste. Use a sweet toothpaste, like bubblegum or fruit flavor.
- Place your child in your lap and tilt their head back against your body. This allows you to see all areas inside their mouth.
- You will want to angle the toothbrush bristles towards the gums and brush in gentle circles to clean both teeth and massage the gums.
- Brush the inside and outside of teeth and gums.
- When cleaning the molars, brush gently on the surfaces.
- Have your child spit out the toothpaste when you are done.
You will be primarily cleaning your child’s teeth until they develop the manual dexterity to do it properly, typically around 8 years of age. Also, once two teeth begin to touch, you will want to start flossing between them once a day and using a fun-flavored floss will help your child enjoy this chore.
To schedule their first visit, please call 512-732-0022 today. Dr. Kyle Raymond at Westlake Pediatric Dentistry in Austin, Texas, is happy to support your child’s oral health for a lifetime of smiles!
