Five Key Facts About Infant Oral Health
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, making it a great time to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of caring for young children’s teeth.
Although many adults may not realize it, early childhood dental health is a serious health issue. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood health conditions in the United States, and it’s a leading problem among preschoolers.
Childbirth Graphics is committed to nurturing healthy families by providing parents and caregivers with essential information to help their infants and toddlers grow healthy and strong. Our
parenting education materials and models include innovative educational resources to help parents and caregivers take the best possible care of infants and young children, including teaching materials that focus on oral health.
Read on to discover five key facts about infant oral health and how it can impact a growing child’s overall health through childhood and beyond.
A Mom’s Oral Health Can Impact Her Baby’s Oral Health
When an expectant mother has gum disease, it may affect her developing baby, resulting in preterm delivery and low birthweight. Oral bacteria may travel from the mother’s gums into her bloodstream and to her uterus, where chemical changes may result in preterm labor.
Common parenting behaviors, such as sharing spoons, may also affect a baby’s oral health. Mothers who have large amounts of oral bacteria in their mouths can pass the bacteria from their own mouths to the mouths of their babies. This bacteria can cause problems in babies’ oral health as they get older. Children whose mothers have tooth loss and untreated cavities are three times more likely to have childhood cavities.
Our
Mr. Clean Mouth™ With Giant Toothbrush is a great model to use with adults and young people to demonstrate proper brushing technique. Information on the base of the model provides teaching points about the importance of good oral hygiene. The fleshy, lifelike tongue made of realistic, soft BIOLIKE™ adds an extra touch of realism.
Breastfeeding Promotes a Baby’s Optimal Oral Health
Breastfeeding encourages proper jaw development and promotes the growth of healthy teeth. The effort needed to create a proper latch helps a baby’s jaw develop at a time when infants are growing rapidly. Sucking also encourages proper airway development. Studies suggest that breastfed babies are less likely to experience problems with teeth alignment, such as overbites and crossbites. Research also shows that breastfed babies are less likely to develop cavities.
Our
Starting a Feeding Tear Pad, English/Spanish is just one of our many breastfeeding teaching tools that helps expectant and new parents understand how to help a baby get a proper latch. English on one side and Spanish on the other, this tear pad is an ideal handout to provide new parents with essential take-home breastfeeding education.
Baby Teeth Are Important
Because primary (baby) teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, many parents may not understand why baby teeth matter. Baby teeth are integral to children’s health and development. Baby teeth hold space for permanent teeth and help them come in straight. Children need their baby teeth to help them chew food, learn to speak properly, and smile. Decayed teeth can lead to severe pain, poor nutrition, and speech problems. The pain caused by only moderate tooth decay can affect a child’s entire life, even contributing to lower self-esteem and emotional problems.
One common way early childhood tooth decay occurs is when young children are put to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, fruit juice, breastmilk, soda, sugar water, or any other liquid containing naturally occurring or added sugars. Over time, the long-term exposure to sugar can cause tooth decay. Bacteria in the mouth feed on the sugar and produce acids that decay teeth.
Featuring a model of severely decayed baby teeth, our
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Model Set graphically reveals how the sugars that coat a baby’s teeth when put to bed with a bottle can cause severe tooth decay.
The model comes with a parent education handout, the 100-sheet, English/Spanish
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Tear Pad, which explains the harmful consequences of baby bottle tooth decay and provides steps to take care of a baby's teeth. The set is an attention-grabbing tool to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of young children’s dental health.
Added Sugars Should be Avoided or Limited for Young Children
It is recommended that children younger than age 2 avoid added sugars. For children ages 2 and older, it is recommended that added sugars be limited to less than 10 percent of their daily calories. Consumption of added sugars can lead to tooth decay.
Our
Sippy Cup of Sugar™ Display shows that tooth decay continues to be a concern for toddlers and older children, with exposure to dietary sugars being a primary contributor. The display features a sippy cup that contains a model of decayed baby teeth submerged in sugary, sticky goo. It raises awareness not only of the role sippy cups can play in childhood tooth decay, but also of the fact that beverages are the largest source of added sugars in many children’s diets.
Babies Should Have Their First Dental Visit by Their First Birthday
Children should visit the dentist when their first tooth appears or no later than their first birthday. A child’s dentist can provide additional information about proper brushing and flossing, sealants, and fluoride treatments. Parents should follow the recommendations of their child’s dentist, which will be tailored to their child’s particular oral health needs.
The information contained in this newsletter article is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare professional.
©2025 Childbirth Graphics®
