Basic infant care

Teething and Dental Health
At around six weeks of age, babies' salivary glands increase their volume of secretions and they starting spitting and blowing raspberries. At about three months, they start drooling, sucking on their hands, and chewing on convenient shoulders. Teething proper begins in the next few months. If you suspect your young baby is teething, run your finger along the front edges of her gums. Swollen ridges are the tip-off of imminent teeth.

When your baby's first teeth erupt, sometime after the sixth month, you can wipe the teeth with a clean cloth or a soft baby toothbrush. Toothpaste is not necessary, and in fact is not recommended until children have learned to rinse away the excess toothpaste instead of swallowing it. When a child swallows toothpaste, she may ingest too much fluoride, which can adversely affect her teeth.

Early teethers
It's uncommon, but not unheard of, for a baby's teeth to come through in the very early months of life. Indeed, some babies are born with one or two teeth already in place. If these teeth aren't well anchored in the gums, doctors may recommend having them pulled to avoid the risk of choking if they come loose. These early teeth may be pre-teeth; having pre-teeth does not mean that primary teeth won't start to arrive at the usual time of six months. But more often they are primary teeth and, when the child is older, dentists can fashion temporary dentures as stand-ins until their permanent successors begin to take over starting about age six.

Nursing bottle caries
One risk to your child's teeth is a condition known as "nursing bottle caries," caused by putting your baby to bed with a bottle of milk, juice, or any other liquid besides water. The sugars in these drinks cause decay, and new teeth, which take time to harden completely, can decay rapidly. If you see dull white spots or lines in your baby's teeth, especially along the gum margin, your child is at risk and you should see your dentist immediately. Never dip your baby's soother in honey; increasing the risk of caries is less serious than the risk to children under 12 months from honey's possible contamination with clostridium botulinum spores.

Excerpted from Growing with Your Child: Pre-Birth to age 5 by
Christine Langlois. Copyright 1998 by Telemedia Communications Inc.
Excerpted, with permission by Ballantine Books. All rights reserved. No part
of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing
from the publisher.