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Baby's oral hygiene is very important to maintain a healthy mouth, as well as the growth of teeth without complications. Thus, parents should perform the baby's mouth care every day, after meals, especially after the evening meal, before the baby goes to sleep.
Careful observation of the mouth should also be part of the oral hygiene routine, as it is very important to detect oral problems. If, during the cleaning of the mouth, opaque white spots are observed on the baby's teeth, the parents should immediately take the baby to the dentist, as these spots may indicate the beginning of a cavity. If the presence of white spots on the tongue is observed, it may be an indicator of fungal infection, also known as thrush disease.
Baby mouth care should start right after birth and not only when the first teeth are born, because when sweetening the baby's pacifier or giving him milk before he goes to sleep, without cleaning the baby's mouth, he can develop bottle caries.
How to clean your mouth before teeth are born
The baby's mouth should be cleaned with gauze or a wet cloth in filtered water. Parents should rub the gauze or cloth over the gums, cheeks and tongue, in front and behind, in circular movements until the birth of the first teeth.
Another option is to use your own silicone finger, from Babe Confort, for example, which can also be used when the first teeth appear, however, it is only indicated after 3 months of age.
In the first 6 months of life, it is very common for babies to develop fungal infections in the mouth, known as thrush or oral candidiasis. Therefore, it is very important, when cleaning the mouth, to carefully observe the baby's tongue, in order to check if there are white spots on the tongue. If the parents notice this change, they should take the baby to the pediatrician for treatment. Know what the thrush treatment consists of.
How to brush baby teeth
After the baby's first teeth are born and up to 1 year of age, it is advisable to brush your teeth with a brush suitable for the age, which should be soft, with a small head and a large handle.
From the 1st year of age, you should brush your baby's teeth with a brush and use a toothpaste with a fluoride concentration appropriate for the age. You should avoid using toothpaste with a higher fluoride content than recommended, as it can leave white spots on the teeth, and it is also dangerous if the baby swallows this fluoride. The amount of toothpaste proportional to the size of the baby's little finger nail should be placed on the brush and brushed all the teeth, front and back, taking care not to hurt the gums.