As a new parent, you may be concerned about your baby’s development. There are many variables to keep track of, and teething is just one of them, according to this Dentist in Las Vegas. Ensuring that your baby’s teeth grow strong is not an easy task. However, with some basic knowledge and patience, you can rest assured that they will end up with white pearls! If you want some simple tips to help you track the development of your baby’s teeth, you have come to the right place. Here are 6 hacks that will help you guarantee that their teeth remain in tip-top shape.
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Follow a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy
If your baby has not arrived yet, count yourself lucky because you still have the chance to make sure that their teeth develop right. While you may not be able to see a newborn’s teeth, they are actually under their gums. Since embryos start teething in the uterus, you have to be careful about what you put into your body. As a mother, your diet greatly affects the baby’s development. In this spirit, you should include certain nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, and vitamin D in your diet. Moreover, you should take around 600gm of folic acid to lower the risk of birth defects. Generally speaking, fruits and veggies should constitute the majority of your diet. So, try to add greens to your dishes and avoid sugary foods.
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Limit the Baby’s Sugar Consumption
So, your little bundle of joy has finally arrived. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part: ensuring that the teething process goes without a hitch! The folks from Kute Keiki explain that teething usually starts when the baby is 4-6 months old, but early signs of teething at 3 months are also normal. What you can do when you start seeing signs of tooth eruption is to limit your baby’s sugar consumption. This means that you should not give them juices that are full of sugar, especially before they sleep.
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Sterilize Pacifiers
Regardless of your stance on pacifiers and whether you think they are good for your baby, there will always be a time when you will need to use one to keep them from getting too fussy. Experts agree that using a pacifier does not harm infants’ teeth development as long as it is done correctly. So, the best thing you can do is to sterilize them the right way. Some parents use their own mouths to clean pacifiers, but this is actually counter-productive because it introduces more bacteria. To properly clean your baby’s pacifiers, soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes after every use. You could also use soap, but make sure to rinse it out thoroughly.
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Clean the Baby’s Mouth
Even before teething starts, you still have to keep the baby’s mouth clean after every feeding. The easiest way to do so is to use a wet washcloth to massage their gums. This eliminates bacteria and reduces the risk of decay. When teeth start erupting, you can then use an infant toothbrush and toothpaste. Go for brands that contain fluoride and use a very small amount. If you are not sure which brand to choose, you can always ask a pediatrician.
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Combat Unhealthy Habits
As we’ve mentioned before, pacifiers are okay when used correctly. However, your baby will need to stop using them at some point. Most doctors recommend that parents should gradually help their infants get rid of pacifiers when they are 6 months old. When the baby turns one, they should not use pacifiers at all. The baby might start to adopt a new unhealthy habit, thumb sucking, to compensate for the loss of pacifiers. While thumb sucking may bring them comfort, it can make teeth come in crooked. Because thumb sucking is usually a sign that the baby is either agitated or afraid, you should eliminate all negative stimuli to eliminate this bad habit.
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Take the Baby to the Dentist
It is often recommended that you take your baby to the dentist as soon as their first tooth comes in. Nonetheless, if you are already enforcing healthy habits, the visit can wait until their first birthday. A dentist will examine the baby’s teeth to make sure that there isn’t any decay. They may also look for jaw deformities. In some cases, your dentist may recommend that your child gets braces when they turn seven.
It is never too early to start caring about oral hygiene. Because your baby’s first few months will determine whether their teeth will grow to be healthy and strong or decayed and crooked, you need to enforce healthy habits early on. By setting up a positive example and following our previous guide, your baby will not have to fear dentist visits when they are older!