What You Should Start Doing When Your Baby’s First Teeth Come In

Having a new baby is one new thing after another and learning things while practicing all of the other things, too! One of those new things, at about six months, is the adventure of your baby both cutting new teeth and you caring for the ones your baby is getting! Between sore gums and teaching the baby to not bite fingers (or more sensitive areas), it’s important to also care for those new chompers. What should you do when your baby’s first new teeth come in?

Introduce New Foods

Before the six-month mark, according to the CDC, your baby needs no solid foods, and, indeed, their bodies might not be ready to process them! Advice from decades past said to give formula-fed babies solids as early as three or four months, which now they know can cause food allergies. Practice new foods gradually, with only one new food per week, leaving high allergen foods like peaches, apricots, and strawberries until later. Nursing babies don’t need to begin solids in earnest until a year but starting them at the same time is fine.

Start Brushing

According to Maccaro Smiles, children under two should use toothpaste without fluoride. Although you might get bit, using a finger brush is a great way to get your baby accustomed to having their teeth cleaned. Likewise, it’s common to use a washcloth with a little water on it and the paste. Get a paste your child enjoys the flavor of—if you find your child is not enjoying the idea of clean teeth, they might not like the flavor you’ve chosen.

Find a Great Dentist

Finding a good pediatric dentist for your child is important! If you have a rowdy kid, their baby teeth can get some wear and tear, especially after they learn to walk. Some children can have more predisposition to cavities, too. According to Parents.com, teaching them that going to the dentist is something families do to help their teeth is a great thing. They can sit on your lap at your dental appointment for a cleaning. This normalizes healthy teeth care.

Your baby’s baby teeth are adorable. You want them to be able to enjoy them until they get exchanged for adult teeth, beginning at the age of five or six. Brush them up with no fluoride, teach them about healthy foods, and find that awesome dentist. Don’t forget to bask in that beautiful little baby smile!

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