Being a parent and worrying about your child is a full-time job! Below are some tips on good oral care for your child from the American Dental Association and Dr. Tierney.  Also, get the scoop on thumbsucking and teething! 

• Never allow a baby or toddler to fall asleep with a bottle that contains milk, formula, fruit juices, sweetened liquids or a pacifier dipped in anything sugary.
• Even diluted sweet drinks can be damaging.  Infants should fininsh their bedtime or naptime bottle (or breastfeeding) before going to bed.
• Wipe the baby's gums with a clean gauze pad after each feeding.
• Begin brushing your child's teeth with water as soon as the first tooth appears. 
• To reduce the chances of tooth decay, children should be encouraged to drink from a cup by their first birthday. 
• Your child's first dental visit should occur within six months of the eruption of the first tooth and no later than the baby's first birthday. 
• Aggressive thubsucking may cause problems with children's primary (baby) teeth, so please mention to me on your next visit if your child has this habit.  I can check his or her mouth for any changes and give you techniques to help curb thumbsucking.  Most children will not give up this habit until 4 years of age. 
• As your child's baby teeth erupt, they may become fussy, sleepless or irritable.  One way to comfort your baby is to genly massage the gums with a clean finger, a small cool spoon or a clean wet gauze pad.
• Note that using benzocaine ointment on baby's gums may not be a good idea because:  Benzocaine ointment may sensitize your baby to future benzocaine-related allergic reactions.  Benzocaine ointment may cause numbing of the throat, and your baby may choke if too much is used.

As always, we are here to answer your questions, so please fee free to call our office at 773-293-2700 to schedule your first "well -baby" dental check-up.