How to Keep Your Child's Teeth Healthy

Chew on this: tooth decay among two to five year olds is on the rise. And poor dental hygiene at an early age can lead to an increase in bacteria and subsequent dental infection, impacting your child's adult teeth. To keep your child's teeth healthy, you'll have to put in some work before the first tooth even makes its much heralded appearance. Here, simple steps to take now for a healthy smile later.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gauze or washcloth
• Small, soft-bristled toothbrush
• Fluoridated toothpaste

1. Wipe out your baby's mouth with a wet washcloth or piece of gauze after each feeding—even if it's only infant formula or breast milk. Besides removing food, the gentle rubbing will help to stimulate the gum tissue. As the teeth begin to erupt, be sure to go over the tooth's surface with the cloth. Keep this up for the first two years of life.

2. Start brushing your child's teeth around age two. Use a small toothbrush with soft, pliant bristles and just a pea-size drop of fluoridated toothpaste (use more than that and your child is apt to swallow the excess toothpaste, which can be nauseating). You may have to be on tooth-brushing duty until your child is seven or eight—when he has the dexterity to brush alone effectively.

3. Keep things separate. When you share toothbrushes, eating utensils or saliva in any way, you're sharing your mouth's bacteria with your child's—and that can up the risk for tooth decay.

4. Feed children three healthy meals a day. The poorer your child's diet, the more likely she'll have tooth decay. You should limit the use of sippy cups filled with sugary juices and never allow your child to fall asleep with a bottle of milk in her crib.

Tips & Warnings

• It's a good idea to have your child see the dentist at an early age—some dental health professionals recommend it be within six months of the first tooth appearing.