Caring for Your Baby's Mouth Before the First Tooth
Many parents are surprised to hear that dental care can start long before the first tooth appears. A few gentle minutes a day keeps your baby's mouth clean and makes brushing much easier when teeth arrive, usually around six months.
Wiping your baby's gums
You don't need any special products to begin.
- Wash your hands and wrap a clean, damp piece of gauze or a soft cloth around your finger.
- Gently wipe the gums, top and bottom, front and back. Then lightly wipe the tongue and the inside of the cheeks.
- Do it once or twice a day, ideally after a feed and especially before the longest sleep at night.
- Keep it calm and short. The goal is a relaxed routine, not a perfect clean.
Once the first tooth appears, switch to a small, soft baby toothbrush with a rice-grain smear of fluoride toothpaste, twice a day.
White patches: milk or oral thrush?
White coating on a baby's tongue is very common, and it is usually just milk.
- Milk residue tends to sit on the tongue only, and it wipes away easily with a damp cloth.
- Oral thrush is a yeast infection. The white patches often appear on the cheeks, gums, lips or roof of the mouth as well as the tongue, and they don't wipe off easily. If you do rub them, the area underneath may look red or bleed slightly. Babies may be fussy during feeds, and breastfeeding mothers may notice sore nipples.
If you think your baby may have thrush, see your paediatrician or family doctor. It usually needs a prescribed medicine, sometimes for the breastfeeding mother too. Please don't scrape the patches off.
Epstein pearls and other little bumps
Some newborns have tiny white or yellowish bumps along the middle of the roof of the mouth, called Epstein pearls. Similar small bumps can sometimes appear on the gums. They are harmless little cysts, they don't hurt, and they usually disappear on their own within a few weeks. If you are unsure what you are seeing, ask your doctor or dentist.
Teeth present at birth
Occasionally a baby is born with a tooth, called a natal tooth, or one appears within the first month, called a neonatal tooth. This is rare. These are usually lower front baby teeth that simply arrived early.
They can sometimes be loose, cause discomfort during breastfeeding, or rub and create a sore under the baby's tongue. Please have your baby checked by your paediatrician and a paediatric dentist. Very loose teeth may be a choking risk, and the dentist will advise whether the tooth can stay, can be smoothed, or is better removed. Many natal teeth can safely be kept.
Protecting your baby from cavity germs
Babies are not born with the bacteria that cause tooth decay. These bacteria are often passed to them through saliva from the people who care for them. You can lower this risk with simple habits:
- Don't share spoons or cups with your baby, and avoid tasting their food with their spoon.
- Don't "clean" a dropped pacifier by putting it in your own mouth. Rinse it with clean water instead, or keep a spare.
- Look after your own teeth. Parents and caregivers with healthy mouths pass on fewer cavity germs. If you have untreated cavities or bleeding gums, it's a good time to see your own dentist.
- Avoid putting your baby to bed with a bottle of milk or juice once teeth begin to appear.
When to book the first dental visit
The first dental visit is recommended by the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth, whichever comes first. It is usually a short, relaxed visit to check the mouth and answer your questions about feeding, teething and brushing.
Questions about your child's teeth?
Every child is different — it is always better to ask than to worry.
This article is general information and does not replace an examination by a dentist or doctor.