Infants & Toddlers

A toothbrush with soft bristles and a small head, especially one designed for infants, is the best choice for infants. Brushing at least twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime, will remove plaque bacteria that can lead to decay.

The AAPD encourages parents and other care providers to help every child establish a dental home by 12 months of age. The AAPD recognizes a dental home should provide: comprehensive oral health care including acute care and preventative services in accordance with AAPD periodicity schedules.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing a child to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He or she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.

Thumb sucking and pacifier habits over a prolonged period of time can create crowded, crooked teeth or bite problems. If your child is still sucking on thumbs or fingers when the permanent teeth arrive, a mouth appliance may be recommended by your pediatric dentist. However, most children stop these habits on their own. “First visit by first birthday” is the general rule. To prevent dental problems, your child should see a pediatric dentist when the first tooth appears, usually between 6 and 12 months of age, certainly no later than his/her first birthday.

Baby bottle tooth decay is a pattern of rapid decay associated with prolonged nursing. It happens when a child goes to sleep while breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding. During sleep, the flow of saliva is reduced and the natural self-cleansing action of the mouth is diminished. Avoid nursing a child to sleep or putting anything other than water in their bedtime bottle. Encourage your child to drink from a cup as they approach their first birthday. He or she should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age.

For babies & toddlers, liquids are one of the biggest concerns related to oral health. Here are four tips to help:

1. When nursing, be sure to clean baby teeth after each feeding—especially at night.
2. Never let your child go to bed with a bottle.
3. Don’t let your child walk around with or drink throughout the day from a bottle or sippy cup with anything except water in it. Milk & juice should be saved for meal times only.
4. Try to switch from a bottle to a sippy cup, and then to a regular cup, as soon as possible.