Caring for baby’s teeth (1076)

By the time your child is 2 years old, she will have 20 teeth. If any of these teeth are decayed, your child may have what dentists call "nursing bottle mouth." Bacteria in baby's mouth reacts with sugar to make acid.

When he is awake, swallowing helps wash acid away. When baby sleeps, more acid stays on his teeth to cause cavities. So don't give baby a bedtime bottle.

Even though your child will lose her baby teeth, it's important to keep teeth healthy. Baby teeth help keep space open in the mouth so adult teeth aren't crowded. You can care for baby's teeth by providing your child with a balanced diet and by wiping her teeth with a clean washcloth or gauze pad after meals.

If your water comes from a well, your doctor may suggest testing it, and adding fluoride if needed. This helps baby's teeth grow strong.

The American Dental Association recommends against:

* putting a baby to bed with anything but water in the bottle—no milk, juice or soft drinks

* giving her sugar-coated food (avoid sugar whenever you can)

* putting sweets on the pacifier.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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