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A Parents Primer For Pediatric Dental Hygiene

Mother With Child Outdoors

Every parent’s first goal is to ensure their child grows healthy and happy. While much focus is on the child’s medical and mental health, oral health tends to get second billing. Many parents aren’t aware that dental care begins before the child is born. Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry knows that new parents are often overwhelmed with all the changes in their lives. That’s why we put together this basic primer for pediatric dental hygiene. We wanted to ensure that new parents were prepared to make the best oral health choices for their children right from the start.

A Parents Primer For Pediatric Dental Hygiene

Many new parents seem to get an unfortunate piece of misinformation: your infant’s oral health doesn’t matter until their first tooth arrives. Nothing could be further from the truth. Your child’s oral health care begins while in the womb. Studies in the developing health of fetuses and infants have revealed that the state of the mother’s oral health can impact the child before they’re even born. Pregnant women experiencing poor oral health risk passing bacteria and infection to their developing child. The first important thing you can do to protect your child’s health is to protect your own.

These steps represent solid ways of protecting your developing child’s health:

  • Getting an exam and cleaning during your second trimester is essential. This protects your child by Reducing the risk of transmitting infection or bacteria to your infant.
  • Any cosmetic care must be reserved for after birth.
  • Once your child has arrived, you’ll want to gently wash their gums with a damp gauze after every feeding, as well as each morning and night.
  • The first dental appointment for your child should occur at no later than one year of age or around the arrival of their first tooth, whichever comes first.

Their first visit to Smiling Kids Pediatric Dentistry will involve meeting one of our team of pediatric dentists. They’ll complete a comprehensive first-visit checkup and answer any questions you may have about their care. Parent education is essential to helping your child start their oral health journey on the right foot. Your child’s primary (baby) teeth are more important to their lifelong oral health than you may realize. These teeth guide the development of your child’s jaw, ensuring sufficient room for adult teeth to come in without misalignment. That’s why starting pediatric care early is essential.

Discover More Pediatric Dental Hygiene Tips During A Visit

If you plan on starting a family soon or have a new baby on the way, visit our team in Indianapolis, IN, today. We’ll be happy to sit you down with one of our pediatric dental team and answer any questions about caring for your baby’s oral health. You can contact our office at (317) 580-9199 to take your first steps toward providing your child with a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime.