Caring for Infants’ Teeth

As a dentist with the KinderSmile Foundation in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Dr. Angela Crincoli draws on 30 years of professional experience. As part of her mission of helping families develop a strong foundation for their children’s oral health, Angela Crincoli, DMD, focuses on parent education.

According to the American Dental Association, good oral hygiene for children starts well before the first teeth emerge. Dental decay can begin as soon as the first teeth start to erupt through the gums, and as this can be difficult for parents to notice at first, pre-emptive care is crucial. Parents can make a habit of cleaning their child’s gums with a moist gauze pad or wet, clean washcloth, so that children and adults alike become accustomed to the process.

As soon as teeth are visible, they can decay. Experts recommend cleaning a child’s first teeth, which usually emerge around the age of 6 months, twice daily with a baby toothbrush. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using a small smear of fluoride toothpaste, no larger than the size of a grain of rice. The parent should brush not only all surfaces of the baby’s teeth, but also the tongue, if possible.

Professionals typically recommend that babies see a dentist before the age of 1 year or within six months of the first tooth’s eruption, whichever occurs earliest. Many local health departments know of care centers that can provide such services to children from low-income backgrounds.