Having a baby in the house brings on many changes. Your baby depends on you for everything for many months, physically and emotionally. The checkups with the Pediatrician are considered routine, but you also need to start thinking about the health and care of baby’s teeth.

Even before the first teeth appear, it is the time to start caring for your baby’s teeth.

• Gently clean the baby’s upper and lower gums with a clean, damp piece of gauze twice a day
• Check with your dentist regarding fluoride for the baby’s teeth
• Watch for any spotting or staining on teeth
• Never put baby to bed with a bottle
• Be sure the foods you feed your baby are healthy and make sweets a special occasion treat
• Don’t dip pacifiers in sweet drinks or honey (never give honey to a child under the age of 1)

Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa is a family dentist and we are here to answer any of your questions regarding dental care for your little one.  Call us at 952-473-4900 or use our Request an Appointment page. We are conveniently located if you are in the Wayzata, Plymouth or Minnetonka area.

Halloween is so much fun for kids (and Mom and Dad too), but it usually brings too many sweet treats into the house. It is tempting to make that after school snack a few pieces of candy, but that really isn’t a great idea.

Let’s talk about some cavity prevention with the Halloween treats.

• Mom and Dad take a good look at the candy the kids bring home. Examine the candy and remove anything not wrapped properly or that looks suspicious.

• Talk about how much candy is allowed each day. Maybe even consider a donation of some of the candy to a organization that sends it to our soldiers serving active duty.

• Discourage eating any candy that is really sticky, gummy or hard. Caramels, chewy nougats and jawbreakers are good examples of what to avoid. Besides the obvious sugar sticking to the teeth, very hard candies can result in tooth breakage.

• When kids do have a candy treat, encourage drinking water or even brushing their teeth to remove the excess sugars.

Another consideration is to check with your dentist. If there are large grooves in the teeth, a sealant can be applied to help protect the teeth even more.

Let them have some Halloween fun – it is part of being a kid. But, do talk with them about the importance of not eating too many sweets and monitor their dental hygiene to be sure they stay on track.

Do you have any questions about your child’s dental care? Call Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa at 952-473-4900 or use our request an appointment page online to arrange an appointment. We are conveniently located if you are in the Wayzata, Plymouth or Orono area.

Ah – the excitement of losing that first tooth and leaving under the pillow for the tooth fairy!

Here is a fun, special project to make for the young child (son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, niece, nephew) about to lose that first tooth. No special sewing talent required. Check with your local fabric store for the supplies.

Link to template pattern and instructions – http://www.favecrafts.com/Unexpected-Ideas/Tooth-Fairy-Pillows

Thank you Karen Booth for Kreinik –

If you don’t feel like an arts and crafts project, this website has quite a variety of really cute pillows for sale. http://www.etsy.com/search/?includes%5B0%5D=tags&search_query=tooth_fairy_pillow

And if you want to know the going rate for those precious teeth, here is a cleverly written and researched article from a Boston mom… http://www.bostonmamas.com/2011/01/the_tooth_fairy_going_rate.html

Wayzata Dental & SmileSpa is a family dentist and here to answer your questions, even the ones about losing that first tooth.  We are conveniently located if you are in the Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Excelsior or Lake Minnetonka area.