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Before your baby is born-
What you eat when you are pregnant is important. Eating right will help you and your growing baby stay healthy. Follow your doctor’s advice for eating the right foods and taking vitamins.
It’s also time to think about how you’ll feed your baby. Remember, breast-feeding is best.
After your baby is born-
There are things you can do to keep your baby from getting tooth decay. It is important to protect the baby teeth. Tooth decay can cause pain for your baby. Baby teeth hold space for the adult teeth. Tooth decay can lead to poor nutrition and serious infections.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay-
Baby Bottle Tooth decay is caused by a buildup of sugars. These sugars are left from:
- Breast Milk
- Formula
- Juice, or any fluid your baby drinks from a bottle (except water).
What you can do to prevent tooth decay-
- Never put your child to bed with a bottle.
- Only give your child a bottle during meals.
- Encourage your child to drink from a cup when old enough (usually around the first birthday).
- Clean your baby’s teeth as soon as they come in. Use a soft cloth or baby’s tooth brush. Clean the teeth once a day. The best time is right before bedtime.
- At about age 2, most of your child’s teeth will be in and you can start brushing them with a small drop of fluoride toothpaste.
- Young children cannot get their teeth clean by themselves. Until they are 7 or 8 years old, you need to help them brush. Be sure that you put the toothpaste on the brush and use only a pea-sized amount of tooth paste.
- Take your child to the dentist. Ask your dentist when to bring your child in for his first visit. Usually the dentist will want to see a child by his first birthday.
- Ask your dentist or doctor about giving you a prescription for fluoride drops for your baby.
- Limit sweet sugary treats for your child. Instead offer them healthy choices such as fruit or sliced cheese.
Starting healthy habits early can lead to a lifetime of health. |
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