{"id":972,"date":"2019-06-10T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=972"},"modified":"2019-06-10T12:00:13","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T12:00:13","slug":"info-for-new-moms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/info-for-new-moms\/","title":{"rendered":"INFO FOR NEW MOMS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The key to a\nchild’s good dental health begins before his or her teeth become visible. Here\nare some answers to some of the most frequently asked dental health questions\nrelating to pregnancy, infants, toddlers and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Does\nbeing pregnant affect my oral health?<\/strong> Yes… hormonal changes exaggerate\nthe way gum tissues react to the irritants in plaque. Thorough brushing and\nflossing of your teeth twice daily to remove the plaque and eating a balanced\ndiet will help to keep your gums healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Should I\nvisit my dentist during my pregnancy?<\/strong> Yes… you should continue regular\ndental visits. However, it is very important to let your dentist know that you\nare pregnant. You may be asked to be seen more frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Are\nx-rays safe during pregnancy?<\/strong> Yes… x-rays are safe during pregnancy and\nare a vital tool used in helping to detect dental and other oral health\nproblems. Only the x-rays that are necessary for treatment will be taken. You\nwill be asked to wear a lead apron for extra protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. When\nwill my infant begin to get teeth?<\/strong> Tooth eruption varies from infant to\ninfant. However, most infants will start to get teeth around six to 12 months\nof age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. When\nshould I begin to brush my infant’s teeth?<\/strong> Starting at birth, clean your\ninfant’s gums with a soft infant toothbrush, cotton gauze, or cloth and cool water.\nFor infants under two years of age, parents should consult their child\u2019s\ndentist before introducing a fluoride toothpaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. How much\nfluoridated toothpaste should I use when brushing my child’s teeth?<\/strong>\nBeginning at 2 years of age, a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste\nshould be used during brushing. Children should be encouraged to spit, not\nswallow, toothpaste, and the amount of toothpaste used can be increased after\nfive or six years of age when the child can reliably do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. When\nshould I take my baby in for his\/her first dental visit?<\/strong> This varies among\npractitioners. Consult your family dentist. In the meantime, look into the\nchild\u2019s mouth on a regular basis to make sure you don\u2019t see anything unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. How can\nI prevent my infant from getting early decay, know as early childhood caries or\nbaby bottle tooth decay?<\/strong> When placing your infant down to sleep (nap or\nnighttime), place only water in the bottle. Sugary liquids like formula, breast\nmilk, juice and soda can pool around the infant’s teeth and cause decay. Don’t\nforget to clean or brush your infant\u2019s gums\/teeth twice daily to remove food\nand plaque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. What\nelse can I do to keep my child\u2019s teeth healthy?<\/strong> Children are not born with\nthe bacteria that cause decay. They are exposed to these bacteria from their\ncaregivers, especially their mothers. By keeping your teeth healthy and free\nfrom decay, you can help reduce your child\u2019s exposure to these bacteria and\nreduce the chances of early decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. What\ncan I do to help my baby through teething?<\/strong> Many babies like a teething\nring, cool spoon, or cold wet washcloth. Some parents\/care providers rub their\ninfant’s gums with a clean finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. St. Clair\nmaintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to\nhealth-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to\nsee written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com<\/a>.\nYou can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The key to a child’s good dental health begins before his or her teeth become visible. Here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked dental health questions relating to pregnancy, infants, toddlers and children. 1. Does being pregnant affect my oral health? Yes… hormonal changes exaggerate the way gum tissues react to the irritants in plaque. Thorough brushing and flossing of your teeth twice daily to remove the plaque and eating a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=972"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":977,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/972\/revisions\/977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}