Just because baby teeth will fall out and make way for adult teeth, it’s still important to have good dental hygiene for baby teeth as they will pave the way for good, healthy adult teeth.
If your baby is taking the bottle for their milk or formula, it’s important to try not to let the baby develop the habit of sleeping with a bottle at night or nap time, often used to sooth the baby to sleep. The constant milk on their teeth during these sleep times can start early tooth decay.
A pacifier, or dummy, is often used as a sleep time device, the consistency of sucking on the dummy soothing an unsettled baby to sleep.
A dummy can have long term ill effects on the way a baby’s teeth grow, the motion of sucking on the dummy, and the force of the motion, can see teeth grow with gaps or spaces for the dummy. If your child does rely on a dummy, it is important take the dummy away once the child is asleep and not to rely on it outside of sleep times. Experts recommended to wean a baby off a pacifier as early as possible. Easier said than done. Below are some tips for weaning a baby from their dummy.
- Try and choose a time that isn’t too hectic or when your baby’s routine is going to be interrupted. You need to make the transition as easy as possible to so try not to make it too stressful on yourself or baby.
- If you child is old enough, talk to them about their dummy and explain what is going to happen to try and make them part of the process
- If you can’t get rid of it all together, make sure the dummy is strictly put away at times outside of sleep time.
- If your child is showing positive signs of being without the dummy for periods, set a time to remove it all together
Reward your child for showing less need of the dummy - Like most things with children, consistency is key. Keep your messages to your child consistent, don’t give in and try and not turn back.
Good dental care begins young and the habits that are formed can prevent dental complications and orthodontic treatments for older children. The team at Somerset Dental are here to help you teach your children proper dental hygiene. Contact us today and make an appointment with the team.
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