Pediatric tooth care technically begins the day your child gets his or her first tooth.  As soon as the tooth pushes up from the gumline, it can and will become vulnerable to plaque and possible tooth decay unless it is cleaned proactively on a daily basis.  While it is natural to get excited when you see your childs first tooth, please remember to temper your excitement with focused caretaking.  Clean your childs newly emerging teeth and gums after every feeding by using a moist gauze pad or washcloth.  Never wait until a child is old enough to use a toothbrush.  Bacteria do not wait, so parents cannot afford to wait either.

When your child gets a little older, and is comfortable using a toothbrush, brush his or her teeth after each meal using an extra soft toothbrush made specifically for infant tooth care.  At first, use the brush without toothpaste until your infant is comfortable with toothpaste and can be taught not to swallow it.   

Remember too that Pediatric tooth care is more than brushing teeth.  Flossing is a vital part of tooth care for everyone, and that includes infants and toddlers as well.  Use floss to gently clean between your babys teeth every day.  Be sure to pay very close attention to areas where teeth are growing very close together.  Even though there may not be any visible space between these teeth, rest assured that microbes have plenty of space to multiple in these areas, so be sure to clean these areas thoroughly.    

We recommend investing in disclosing tablets as part of your daily infant tooth care routine. These tablets contain a harmless red dye that will stain any plaque on any tooth a bright red color.  This makes it readily visible so you can remove it in its entirety.

Fluoride is an essential ingredient for responsible and successful infant-pediatric tooth care.  However, fluoride can be toxic if swallowed and should only be used as directed by your dentist.  We personally choose not to prescribe the fluoride tablets that other dentists often recommend for young children.  We consider them too much of a risk and a needless supplement to a chemical that is readily available both in city water supplies and in almost every toothpaste you can buy.

The one thing you should most guard your infant against is a condition known as "bottle-mouth syndrome." This condition is a form of tooth decay caused by the constant exposures to the sugars in milk, formula, and fruit juice.  Children will many times take a bottle to bed or walk around the house drinking out of the bottle for extended periods of time.  Care must be taken to limit a childs use of the bottle. Pacifiers are an age old substitute that still work in modern times, and bottled water is both a healthy substitute for sugary drinks and something that comes in a container that is somewhat similar to a baby bottle. 

Pediatric tooth care is something that is easier to model for young children than to verbally teach them.  Do not be embarrassed to let your children watch you brush and floss your teeth.  It is also good to help your children with brushing and flossing until they are between 7 and 10 years of age.