Preparing Baby for the Dentist

Dental hygiene is so important. I admit, I don’t much like brushing several times a day, or scrubbing my tongue, or flossing… but I want to keep my teeth! I’ve been pretty lucky – less than 5 cavities ever. I them filled when I was in high school and my dad let me get the resin caps so they matched my teeth color. (Yes, lucky! Cosmetic stuff like that wasn’t covered by our insurance.) Besides the home routine, regular cleanings at the dentist are important too.

Although my teeth are healthy and strong, my weak area is gum care. Knowing this, I am working on it, but I’m also planning on how to teach my daughter good dental hygiene habits. I know she’s only 9.5 months old, but she has 4 teeth now! I’ve heard about babies and kids with cavities and want to prevent that for sure and help her have a healthy mouth well into old age!

She won’t need to go to the dentist for a bit yet, but I think the preparation starts before her first dental exam. Here’s how I’m preparing her:

• Before her teeth came in, I’d occasionally wipe her gums with a clean washcloth
• She is often in the bathroom while I brush my teeth and I let her watch (she seems fascinated!)
• As her first tooth started to emerge, I bought a training toothbrush for her. I run some water on it and let her chew/suck on it while I brush my teeth
• I brush her gums/teeth gently with her toothbrush

My next steps:

• Use training toothpaste
• Bring her to the dentist office with me, letting her play on the floor, ride on the chair, etc. so it seems like an okay place to hang out (the hygienist suggested this!)
• Tell her I look forward to my cleanings (I do look forward to the end result!)

Do you have any tips on getting baby prepared for the dentist?

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Disclosure: I am participating in a blogger campaign for a cosmetic dentist Nashville and was compensated for this post. However, the thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own.