Do you remember the name of your very first dentist? It should be easy to remember. You called them Mommy and Daddy. Now that you’re a parent, you need to make sure your children’s smiles get off to a healthy start. Drs. Berquist may be the professional Whiting family dentist your children see, but in truth you are the first “dentist” they depend on for good oral health care. With this in mind, we’d like to offer you a few tips on how you can make sure those adorable faces have healthy smiles.

1. Take care of their teeth even before you see them. Just because none of their primary, or baby, teeth have erupted doesn’t mean you don’t have to care for them and your baby’s delicate gum tissue. Therefore, after each feeding—whether bottle or breast—wipe their gums with a soft washcloth dampened with warm water. This helps to remove the sugars that bacteria can grow on.
2. As soon as that first pearly white arrives, it’s time to start brushing. Use a small, soft baby toothbrush dipped in warm water and brush gently. Don’t use fluoride toothpaste until they’re old enough to spit—around the age of two. And when there are two teeth next to each other, then it’s time to floss. You’re never too young to start a good habit!
3. Never let your child fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth. When your child has a bottle before bed and their teeth aren’t brushed, the sugar in any kind of milk can decay teeth. The risk is even greater for kids who fall asleep holding their own bottle because the milk pools in their mouth.
4. Never clean a child’s pacifier in your own mouth. We know it can be tempting and convenient to pick up a pacifier that has dropped on the floor and quickly clean it in your mouth. But you’re not really cleaning it—you are, however, transferring colonies of bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease from your mouth to your child’s.
5. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends your child see the dentist by the time they are a year old, and have regular biannual checkups after that. Drs. Berquist and their team would be delighted to see your children and help you care for their bright smiles.

Call Your Crown Point Family Dentist Today

If you would like to schedule an appointment for one of your children or any other member of your family, call Berquist Family Dentistry in Crown Point, IN