Say Cheese! Dental Health

It's up to you to ensure your baby has strong teeth. Babies are not born with cavity-causing bacteria, but can get them between 1.5 – 3 years of age, usually from their mother (or primary caregiver). These specific cavity causing bacteria can be passed from mother to child by sharing spoons when tasting baby’s food, 'cleaning” baby’s soother first in mom’s mouth and then giving it to baby, to name a couple.

If you have questions or concerns, you can reach the
Northern Interior Dental Health Program in Prince George 
at (250) 565-7445.

To learn more about infant dental care, check out the Infant Dental Care BC Health file.

Strong baby teeth start here: 

• Develop good habits by cleaning baby’s mouth twice daily before teeth appear (wipe baby’s gumpads with a clean damp washcloth)
• Start brushing baby’s teeth as soon as they appear with a soft toothbrush and a smear of flouride toothpaste twice a day. Teeth generally appear around 4-6 months of age.
• Feed your baby healthy foods; don’t offer sweets or sticky foods that can cause cavities.
• Never put baby to bed with a bottle unless it contains only water.
• Wean baby from bottle by 12 to 14 months of age. Baby should be able to drink from a cup at this time.
• "Lift the lip” at least once a month to check for whitish lines or brown spots along the gum line of baby’s teeth. If you see these contact your dental office or local health unit's dental department.
• Don’t let baby frequently sip juice or pop from a bottle or a sippy-cup.
• Take your child to the dental office around one year of age – for a quick look at their teeth, and to find out more about growing up with a healthy mouth.

 Baby teeth are important for:

• baby’s mouth and face to develop properly
• baby to learn to chew food properly and have a nutritious diet
• baby to learn to speak
• saving space for permanent teeth that erupt between age 6 – 12 years.

Information on Dental Health:

Calgary Dental Health www.calgaryhealthregion.ca

Canadian Dental Association www.cda-adc.ca

Canadian Dental Hygienists Association www.cdha.ca

Canadian Dental Assistants Association www.cdaa.ca

Dental Therapists www.dentaltherapists.ca

Washington State www.deltadentalwa.com/oralhealth

Minnesota Dental Association www.mndental.org

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