First of all, yes, babies can get cavities as soon as their teeth being to erupt. This tooth decay can cause oral health problems even at a very early age.  How does this even happen? Have you or your caregiver ever tested the temperature of your baby’s food by tasting it and then used the very same spoon to feed your child? If so, then your child probably has had some cavity causing bacteria introduced to his/her mouth. And if you or the caregiver has poor oral health, the consequences for the child are even worse.
 
If you share spoons, drinking glasses, lick a child’s pacifier to “clean it” or even if you kiss a child on the mouth, the bacteria can be transferred to the baby’s mouth.  This “bacterial inoculation” is most critical during the child’s first 24 months, so care must be taken before the age of two to prevent this from happening.
 
What can you do?
 
1. Make sure you or other caregivers have excellent dental health and care. Many studies link bad teeth of the caregivers as a factor in the poor teeth of the child.
2. Use the “2 spoon” rule when you feed the child. One spoon for you to test the temperature and the second to feed the child.
3. Start cleaning the child’s mouth with gauze or a small clean washcloth after food intake. This is especially important when the first tooth comes in.
4. Parents and caregivers can suck on Xylitol mints (usually 2 mints 6 times a day for a total of 6 grams a day). This helps change the bacterial formation in the mouth.
 
For more detailed information, we came across this excellent article from Marshfield Clinic.  You can click here to read it.  Feel free to contact our office if you have further questions.