Your child deserves a strong, healthy, and successful smile that can help them, eat, talk, and express emotion. This is why it’s important for you to keep your child’s teeth and gums in tip-top shape regularly. To help you do so, our dentist, Drs. Ray McKinley & Brittany McKinley-Holloway, has some tips and recommendations on how to care for an infant’s oral health in Shelby Township, Michigan.

First, care for the teeth and gums regularly. If your child doesn’t have any teeth, clean their gums with a clean, damp washcloth by rubbing the gums after each feeding. Then, when they do get teeth, brush them after their first meal in the morning and after their last meal at night. As you brush, make sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush that is the size for a child and water. You don’t need to use toothpaste until your child is about 2 years old.

Second, do your best to prevent baby bottle tooth decay, which is a cavity that forms because the teeth are exposed to sugar and bacteria for long periods of time. Generally, this happens when you send your child to bed with a bottle of milk or let your child continuously nurse while they sleep. If they absolutely have to suck on something while they rest, give them a pacifier or a bottle of water.

To learn more or to ask our dental team any questions, please reach out to [practice_name] at [phone] when you have the chance. We are here to help you in any way we can, so please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to your phone call!