We know that celebrating your child’s first birthday is a big deal! It truly is a joyous occasion that brings parents and family members together to celebrate the ever-blossoming characteristics and unique qualities of your child. The day represents 365 days of special life moments—such as your child’s first word, their first laugh, their first smile, and their first tooth. Of all these milestones, the first tooth marks the beginning of a major journey in your child’s life—one where you can both begin taking steps to ensure their dental health and proper oral development.
The Importance Of Infant Oral Care
Taking on the responsibility to support your infant’s dental health is one of the best gifts you can give them. It sets them up for a lifetime of good oral hygiene. Not only will this help protect against cavities and gum disease, but it teaches them a routine they can follow for the rest of their lives.
While this certainly sounds like a big obligation for such a tiny smile, these early interventions are often what makes the difference between a healthy smile and one that requires extensive care in later years.
Why Parents Need Pediatric Professionals
As a parent, you want to do the best you can for your child. That means enriching their diet with the healthiest foods, taking them to the doctor when they are sick, and providing them with all the love and support they need to expand their cognitive skills and emotional development. While we know that there are countless additional responsibilities you fulfill as well, the point is that you are juggling a wide range of roles and tasks—all important and essential. That’s why, when it comes to your child’s oral health, we want to help by providing them with the early interventions they need while also taking some of the stress off of you.
At Children’s Dentistry of Coral Springs, we specialize in providing comprehensive and compassionate dental care for infants that helps set them up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. The goal is to serve as your partner—listening to you to learn about your child’s interests and preferences as well as teaching you about the best ways to support their oral health at home. By working together, our Coral Springs, FL team can build a solid foundation for your child’s oral health and ensure that their smile will shine for years to come.
What We Do
As a prelude to beginning your journey at our office, we want to introduce you to the conditions we typically treat in infants and how we can support you in helping them have the healthiest possible smile. Please contact our office to learn more about our infant oral care services or to schedule an appointment.
Teething
Teething is the process of your child’s first 20 teeth—also known as baby or primary teeth—erupting through their gum line. During this time, your child may experience soreness or irritability. It’s important to be aware of the most effective ways you can ease their discomfort. These include:
- Massaging their gums with a clean finger or wet gauze
- Applying a chilled teething ring or cold washcloth to the gums
- Contact your child’s pediatrician to consider over-the-counter pain medications
It is also important to recognize the ways you can help prevent dental problems during teething. These include:
- Keeping your baby’s gums clean by wiping them with a gauze or washcloth after each feeding
- Avoiding excessive sugary foods and drinks
- Beginning to establish a regular dental routine as soon as the first tooth appears
At Children’s Dentistry of Coral Springs, we will provide you with the best tips on how to help your child manage their teething pain and guide you through the steps of proper oral health care as each tooth comes in. We want to be there for you, providing a safe and comforting atmosphere so that each check-up can be as stress-free for your child as possible.
Thumb-sucking
One of the most common concerns with infants is the continual use of pacifiers or the sucking of thumbs, which can lead to crooked teeth and other dental issues if not addressed early on. For the most part, these habits are a normal part of infant development and typically dissipate on their own after the age of three or four. However, we understand that sometimes these habits can become more prolonged and need to be addressed with intervention.
At Children’s Dentistry of Coral Springs, we are here to help you understand the dental risks associated with thumb-sucking and pacifier habits as well as provide you with strategies to help your child break these behaviors if necessary. We will take the time to listen to and understand your concerns in the office before developing a plan to help your child stop these habits in the most gentle way possible. Some of our methods include:
- Positive reinforcement
- Offering distraction techniques
- Introducing an alternative method of self-soothing
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby bottle tooth decay is a condition that occurs when sugars in a baby’s diet combine with bacteria on the teeth to form acid, which can cause decay or cavities. This condition typically occurs due to prolonged use of a bottle with sugary liquids such as milk, formula, or juice, and can cause significant damage to baby teeth if left untreated.
At Children’s Dentistry of Coral Springs, we can provide the necessary resources to reduce your child’s risk of developing baby bottle tooth decay. We will provide you with advice on the best types of bottles and fluids to use, as well as the best ways to transition your baby away from their bottle when the time is right. We will also discuss proper oral hygiene habits and scheduling regular dental appointments; that way, any signs of tooth decay can be detected and treated as soon as possible. If you fear that your child is in danger of developing baby bottle tooth decay, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.
