Houston Infant Dentist

Even before your infant’s first tooth comes in, it’s important to clean their gums with gauze or a clean washcloth after nursing or bottle feeding. You can continue to do this until several of their baby teeth erupt.

Once they have some of their baby teeth, switch to using a small, soft baby toothbrush and water. When your child is between 1-2 years old, the AAPD recommends using a smear of fluoride toothpaste no bigger than a grain of rice. Brush each of their erupted teeth thoroughly, cleaning the front, top, and rear surfaces. When your child has most or all of their baby teeth (usually around the age of 3), start flossing them once per day.

Proper brushing is the most important step, along with regular visits to Big Picture Pediatric Dentistry every six months. Infants in particular are highly susceptible to a dental issue called “bottle mouth” (also known as “baby bottle tooth decay”). This condition can occur if you let your infant sleep with a bottle of formula or milk, or if they feed regularly in small amounts from a bottle. The prolonged presence of sugar from the formula, milk, or breast milk in the bottle can lead to decay. 
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To avoid this, always supervise your child during bottle feeding, and try to avoid putting your child to bed with a bottle. Also try not to use their bottle as a pacifier and encourage your child to drink from a cup by their first birthday.