Dental health tips for babies and toddlers
- To soothe the irritation of teething, give your baby a teething ring to chew on.
- Don't give sweetened drinks from the bottle as they can cause decay. Establish regular bottle feeds and, if your baby needs a drink between feeds, use cooled, boiled water.
- After feeding, to prevent tooth decay, wipe your baby's teeth with a moist cloth. At about 8 months, start your infant drinking from a cup as this reduces the time that decay-producing sugars are in contact with the teeth.
- Introduce your infant to tooth cleaning as soon as the teeth appear. As infants are unable to control swallowing, a small smear of low-strength fluoride toothpaste (or no toothpaste at all) should be used.
- At about 18 months, take your child to the family dentist for a check-up to become accustomed to regular dental visits.
Last Reviewed: 01 November 2009
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