Infant Dental Care

Advice & Instructions from our Vernon Hills & Gurnee Pediatric Dentists

Here at our pediatric dental offices in Gurnee and Vernon Hills, IL, we are happy to answer any questions that you might have about oral health for you or your child. Comprehensive oral health care is extremely important starting at a very early age. As a new parent, you should feel confident about how to properly care for your child’s teeth and gums. Learning about normal growth and development, teething, oral habits and prevention of dental disease are keys to assuring that your child will have a healthy smile.

Your Dental Home

Here at Affiliated Dental Specialists, we hope to be your family’s dental home. At our state-of-the-art offices in Gurnee and Vernon Hills, IL, our pediatric dentists offer comprehensive, fully accessible, family-centered primary oral health care that is coordinated, compassionate and effective. Along with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), we encourage you to establish a “dental home” for your child by twelve months of age.

Your Child’s First Dental Visit

Your child’s first visit to his/her new dental home is a very important one. At this first visit, our dentists will conduct an oral exam to check on your child’s mouth and tooth development. Our pediatric oral health care staff will also provide information on how to care for your infant’s teeth at home.

At-Home Care For Your Infant’s Teeth

Maintaining the health of your baby’s primary (baby) teeth is important for proper chewing and eating, appearance, speech, and permits normal development of the jaw bones and muscles.

Here are some handy tips to keep your tot’s teeth in tip-top shape:

• After every feeding, wipe the baby’s gums with a clean, wet gauze pad, washcloth or towel. This removes plaque and food that can harm erupting teeth.
• As teeth begin erupting, some babies may have sore or tender gums. Gently rubbing their gums with a clean finger or wet gauze pad can be soothing. A teething ring (never dipped in sugar or syrup!) may also help. Despite popular belief, a fever is not normal during teething.
• As teeth start showing, brush them gently with a child-size soft toothbrush and water. After age 2, you can use a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste

What Is Baby Bottle Tooth Decay?

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is a serious form of tooth decay among young children, caused by frequent and long exposures of an infant’s teeth to liquids that contain sugar like milk (including breast milk), formula, fruit juice, and other sweetened drinks. If a baby is put down for a nap or at night with a bottle other than water, serious and rapid tooth decay can result. Please use a gauze or clean washcloth to wipe the milk or juice from an infant’s teeth before a nap.

If you have any questions about infant dental care or would like to schedule an appointment for your child, please contact our Gurnee or Vernon Hills, IL pediatric dental offices. We offer comprehensive pediatric dentistry including sedation dentistry and care for special needs patients for children throughout Gurnee, Vernon Hills, Grayslake, Lindenhurst, Libertyville and the surrounding communities.