Why Cleaning Your Child’s Baby Teeth Are Important

At Pollary Family Dentistry in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we encourage our patients to take good care of their child’s baby teeth to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles. Even though these baby teeth are not permanent, early oral care is vital for their future teeth coming in. Dr. Kenneth Pollary and our team are happy to share some basic guidelines to help you care for your child’s smile in those formative, early years.

In the beginning, cleaning your child’s teeth is fairly easy–you can just wipe their gums with a damp washcloth to remove any sticky film. Once your child’s first tooth comes in, however, you will want to implement the following:

• Moisten a soft-bristled baby toothbrush with water. Once your child turns two 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 eight years of age. Once two teeth begin to touch, you will want to start flossing between them once a day–using a fun-flavored floss will help your child enjoy this habit!

If you would like more information on caring for your child’s smile, please call 719-591-0750 today. Dr. Kenneth Pollary at Pollary Family Dentistry in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is happy to support your child’s oral health!