A few safety tips in honor of Baby Safety Month, from Dental Comfort Center

In honor of Baby Safety Month, Sioux Falls, South Dakota pediatric dentists Drs. Graber and Aadland would like to encourage all of our patients and their families to become educated on the importance of childproofing your home. Your child’s health and safety is of the utmost importance to our team at Dental Comfort Center, which is why we would like to remind all of our patients to be mindful of some of the common hazards that may be in your home.

Children are vulnerable, and it is important that you take the necessary precautions in your kitchen, bathroom, nursery, and around the home to minimize the risk to your baby. For example, never leave poisons or toxic materials under the sink where they can be easily reached by a child. In the bathroom, remember to remove soaps, razors, and shampoos from the edge of the tub and close the toilet lid. Children are naturally curious, so it is necessary that you cover all electrical outlets, keep all trash containers locked, and ensure that hanging cords from phones, lamps, and appliances are kept out of reach.

We hope that these baby safety tips help! For more tips, visit the Royal Baby Safety website. As always, feel free to give us a call if you have any questions about baby safety or pediatric dentistry for your little one.

Baby teeth – and gums – need special care!

One question our staff at Dental Comfort Center hears all the time is, “When should I start brushing my baby’s teeth?”

You should begin regular cleanings even before your baby has teeth. After each breast feeding – or bottle-feeding – use a clean, damp washcloth to gently rub your baby’s gum tissue. You can wrap the material around one finger to make it easier to remove any food bits from your baby’s mouth.

When your baby’s first tooth comes in, switch to a baby toothbrush. Look for special baby toothbrushes in your drugstore – they have just a few bristles and are very soft. There are even brushes shaped like finger puppets that fit over the tip of your pointer finger! All you need at this point is water – no toothpaste yet.

After a few more teeth appear, you can start using toothpaste, but you only need a tiny bit, and make sure it doesn’t contain fluoride for the first three years. From the beginning, have your little one practice spitting the toothpaste out after brushing. That way, he or she will already have the good habit of spitting when you switch to fluoride toothpaste, which should never be swallowed.

If you have any questions about caring for your baby’s teeth, please contact Dental Comfort Center.