Baby teeth

Another milestone in babyhood: your baby’s first teeth are breaking through! In this article, you will read about your baby’s teeth.

It is wise to start brushing the teeth of your baby when its first teeth brakes through

Meteen vanaf het doorbreken van de eerste tandjes moet je beginnen met poetsen. Kies voor een peutertandenborstel. Het poetsen zal best even wennen zijn voor je baby. Logisch, want hij moet hier nog aan wennen. Laat hem rustig kennismaken met de tandenborstel. Geef hem de tandenborstel eens zelf vast en laat hem deze onderzoeken. Hij stopt hem dan vanzelf in zijn mondje. Kies naast een goede tandenborstel voor een geschikte tandpasta. Let daarbij op de leeftijdsindicatie die op de tube staat. Deze tandpasta bevat namelijk de goede hoeveelheid fluoride.

Right your baby’s first teeth brakes through, it is wise to start brushing. Choose a toothbrush made for babies. Brushing will take some time for your baby to get used to. This is logical because he still has to get used to it. Let him slowly get to know the toothbrush. Give him the toothbrush yourself and let him explore it. He will put it in his mouth automatically. In addition to a good toothbrush, choose a toothpaste made for children. Pay attention to the age indication on the tube. This is because this toothpaste contains the right amount of fluoride.

Cup

As soon as your baby can sit, you can teach him to drink from an open cup. Usually, this is when your baby is about 9 months old (differs per baby). Do not choose a sippy cup, as it has the same effect as a bottle. With a bottle or sippy cup, your child will be munching down small sips all the time. 

Almost all products (except water) contain sugar and starch. This gets on your child’s teeth with every “sip. Saliva does break this down, but it takes time. Therefore, it is better to let your child drink some larger sips in a row than to let him munch all day long. The more the sip resembles a sip as an adult takes it, the better it is for the teeth of your child.

To suddenly drink from a cup is a big transition for your baby. He is used to having to suck hard to get a sip. When he drinks from a cup, he gets a very big gulp in one go and will choke. Do choose a plastic cup and do not give your child a drink from a glass. He may suddenly bite down on it and may chip the glass.

Thumb vs pacifier

Sucking on a pacifier or thumb is soothing for babies, but harmful from the moment the first teeth break through. This is why dentists prefer a pacifier, rather than a thumb. This is because a pacifier is easier to take away rather than a thumb. So, if your child wants to, give him a pacifier for the first few months.

Weaning off the pacifier

Getting used to life without a pacifier can be quite difficult for your baby. Probably the most important thing is to realize from birth why you are giving your baby a pacifier. Not to keep him quiet all the time, but to satisfy his sucking need. So give your baby a pacifier only when you notice that his sucking needs are not being satisfied enough by the breast or bottle. Also very important for weaning is that you as a parent know why you are doing it. You are not doing it to torment him, but for healthy teeth. If you keep that in mind, you will stand firm and you can help him get used to a life without the pacifier.

Want to know everything about your baby’s mental development and find out how you can stimulate this? Download The Wonder Weeks app or buy the book.