attachment 10 - baby's oral health brochure

Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles

T

Taking Care of
Your Baby’s Oral Health

aking good care of your baby’s
mouth and teeth is important. A
baby’s first tooth usually comes
in at around age 6 to 10 months. Healthy
primary (baby) teeth help children chew
food and speak clearly.

School readiness begins with health!

Tips for keeping your baby’s mouth and
teeth healthy:

milk, infant formula, fruit juice, or
other liquids besides water. Liquids that
contain sugar can cause tooth decay.
Using pacifiers
Clean the pacifier with soap and water.
Never clean a pacifier in your mouth
before giving it to your baby. Germs that
cause tooth decay can pass from your
mouth to your baby’s mouth.
If the pacifier gets worn out or breaks, get
a new one.
Do not dip the pacifier in sweet foods
like sugar, honey, or syrup.
Never put a pacifier on a string or ribbon
around your baby’s neck. It could choke
your baby.

• Cleaning your baby’s gums and teeth
your baby’s gums even before you
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can see the first tooth. Use a clean, damp
washcloth to wipe the gums. Do this
twice a day, especially after night feeding.
After your baby’s first tooth comes in, use
a baby toothbrush with soft bristles and
a small head. Put a smear (size of a grain
of rice) of fluoride toothpaste on the
toothbrush, and brush all sides of your
baby’s teeth.
Brush your baby’s teeth in the morning
and before bedtime.
Using bottles and sippy cups
Do not put your baby to bed with a
bottle or sippy cup filled with breast

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Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste.

This handout was prepared by the National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness under cooperative agreement #9OHC0013 for the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start.
National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. 2016. Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles: Taking Care of Your Baby’s Oral Health. Elk Grove Village, IL:
National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness.
Photos requiring credits: vandenn / Flickr / CC BY-NC (front page, top); Cristian Bernal / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND (front page, bottom)