Oral hygiene in children from 0 to 3 years old

In the first years of life, a child’s milk teeth erupt, he gradually begins to eat food familiar to adults, and a chewing reflex is formed. During this period, it is important to choose the right hygiene products so that the child has healthy and strong teeth in the future.

Today we will tell you how to choose your first brush and paste, prevent the development of caries in the early stages without going to the dentist, and also get through the eruption of baby teeth.

Where do babies get caries?
Hygiene products for the first 6 months
What should the first brush be?
What kind of pasta should a child under 3 years have?
How to cure tooth decay without a dentist
When to wean off a pacifier to avoid problems with bite
Rules for oral care up to 3 years
Tips from a pediatric dentist: video

Where do babies get caries?

Local immunity in the child’s oral cavity develops gradually; the first bacteria are transmitted from the mother at birth and during feeding. Initially, the oral cavity is sterile, and the microflora is formed when contacts with the outside world occur: parents lick a pacifier or bottle, try complementary feeding with a baby spoon, kiss the child.

During these contacts, bacteria are transmitted to which the immune system adapts, but it can fail due to sudden changes or illness. Transmission of harmful bacteria most often occurs at an early age through the so-called “window of infection,” but it is also possible at earlier or later periods.

The child’s microflora is not yet ready and cannot cope with many infections: thrush or stomatitis fungus, streptococci and staphylococci (provoke the development of sore throat), as well as E. coli and the herpes virus.

One of the latest studies states that the most commonly transmitted infection is Streptococcus mutans. It is this that provokes the development of caries. Moreover, it is transmitted even if the parent does not have carious teeth, since the adult’s body is more prepared to cope with viruses and infections - cariogenic bacteria do not have time to form caries in the enamel. But the baby’s body is just learning, and the baby’s risk of developing caries is higher because of this. Therefore, dentists recommend limiting contact: various licks and kisses.

The main sources of transmission of cariogenic bacteria in a child under 3 years of age: tasting food during complementary feeding, licking pacifiers, bottles and toys, kissing

Hygiene products for the first 6 months

It usually takes 6–10 months before the first teeth appear. Oral hygiene at this time is just as important as after teething, since it affects the formation of strong local immunity and the bite of teeth in the future. Note that during this period, parents should pay attention to three things in their baby’s oral care arsenal: the right pacifiers, cleaning wipes with xylitol, and a gel to facilitate teething.

Orthodontic nipples

If you use pacifiers, firstly, they must be orthodontic, and secondly, do so before 6 months, when the first teeth begin to cut. After 6 months, the pacifier may affect future bite formation.

Removal of pacifiers until 8-9 months of age forms the correct bite and helps the development of the jaw. According to studies of dental anomalies, more than half of the complaints about malocclusion are received during the period of early mixed dentition (6–9 years), but the formation of the position of the teeth begins in infancy. Parents of children participating in the study indicated that the upper incisors were tilted due to the bad habit of sucking pacifiers and fingers.

In addition, it is at this age that the sucking reflex is replaced by a chewing one, so it will be psychologically easier for the child to wean himself off the pacifier.

Philips AVENT Ultra Air pacifier 0-6 months with a pattern (2 pcs) SCF345/20

AVENT Ultra Air night pacifier 0-6 months (2 pcs) SCF376/12

Philips AVENT Ultra Air pacifier 0-6 months (2 pcs) SCF244/20

Wipes with xylitol

Until the child has his first teeth, it is recommended to use sanitary napkins with xylitol. They help maintain normal pH levels and reduce acidity levels in the mouth. Due to the increased level of acidity in the mouth, a favorable environment is created for the proliferation of many bacteria: for example, cariogenic and thrush bacteria.

To use, wrap a napkin around your finger and clean the surface of the oral cavity: gums, tongue, teeth.

Teething gels

When teething, the child may develop a fever and begin coughing from the constant flow of saliva. To avoid mistaking these symptoms for ARVI or another disease, pay attention to the following signs.

The gums turn red and become white in places where they erupt.
Saliva flows profusely.
The baby puts his hands and toys into his mouth to relieve the itching.
The baby may throw food, does not eat enough, overeats, which can cause an upset stomach.

To make teething easier, try massaging the gums with a silicone fingertip or give your child a special teether. And if local massage does not help, try special gels. They work well with teethers and finger guards and also relieve inflammation. These gels contain only harmless components of plant origin.

Jack N Jill Silicone Finger Brush (6-12 months)

Teether brush miradent INFANT-O-BRUSH yellow

Oral gel Pierre Fabre Pansoral First teeth

Teething gel BabyDerm Teething gel, 30 ml

Newborn hygiene

The long-awaited moment has arrived. You and your baby are finally being discharged from the maternity hospital. While you were in the maternity hospital, the department staff helped you in caring for your child, and everything seemed clear and understandable. But when you are left at home, alone with your baby, everything seems much more difficult. So that you don’t get confused, let’s talk about newborn hygiene once again.

How to care for the umbilical wound

Why and why? The umbilical cord usually falls off on days 3-5 of the child's life. In its place remains the so-called “umbilical wound”, which heals by 10-14 days of life. In order to speed up the healing process and prevent infection from entering the wound, it is necessary to care for it daily. It is more convenient to treat the umbilical wound after bathing the child. It's not difficult at all, you can do it!

So, you will need: sterile cotton swabs, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, salicylic alcohol.

First you need to: remove rings and watches from your hands, wash your hands thoroughly.
Unwaddle the baby, wash him if necessary and place him on the changing table.
Using the thumb and forefinger of your left hand, spread the edges of the umbilical ring (with your index finger, pull the skin above the navel up towards the chest, and with your thumb, pull the skin under the navel down).
Now take a bottle of peroxide in your right hand and drop 1-2 drops directly onto the umbilical wound. Wait 20-30 seconds until the peroxide fizzes and foams - it washes away the dead crusts, cleaning the wound. Continuing to hold the skin in the navel area with your left hand, take a sterile cotton swab with your right hand and dry the umbilical wound with gentle blotting movements. There is no need to try to remove those crusts that have not separated on their own - their time has not yet come. Perhaps they will disappear tomorrow or in a day.
Take another cotton swab, dip it in salicylic alcohol, and spread the edges of the umbilical ring again. Gently but thoroughly blot the umbilical wound with the stick, and then wipe the skin around the navel in a circular motion.
Let the alcohol dry for a few seconds
That's all. You can put a diaper on your baby and swaddle him.

How to wash a newborn baby

Why and why? The skin of babies is much more delicate than that of adults, irritation and diaper rash occur very easily, so you need to wash the baby every time after he has had a bowel movement. In addition, keeping the skin clean helps your baby develop the first skills of neatness.

If you are away from home, you can use special baby wipes instead of washing, but you should not completely replace washing with such a simplified skin treatment.

A little trick. Babies tend to have a bowel movement after or during each feeding. This leads to the conclusion that washing before eating is a thankless task.

The first thing you need to do is roll up your sleeves, remove rings and watches from your hands, adjust the temperature and pressure of running water. Prepare a thin diaper to dry the skin after washing. It is very convenient to just hang it on your shoulder and always have it at hand.
Unwaddle your baby and remove his diaper.
It is more comfortable to hold the baby with your left hand and wash it with your right.
The boy is held face down when washing. Take the baby so that his chest lies across your forearm, while you hold his shoulder with the fingers of your left hand. Oddly enough, but hanging in this position, the baby does not experience the slightest discomfort.
The girl needs to be washed only from front to back, so as not to contaminate her genitals. Place the child's back on the forearm of your hand, so that the head is on the bend of the elbow, and you will hold her left thigh with your fingers. This position allows you to securely hold the baby, and leaves you complete “freedom of action.”
Wash your baby by scooping water into your palm using gentle movements from top to bottom, carefully removing dirt from the skin. It is especially important to wash all skin folds where dirt can accumulate and cause irritation. Do not use soap unless absolutely necessary; washing with soap once a week is sufficient.
When washing the girl, there is no need to “rub” the genitals, since the mucous membrane is very delicate. In addition, overzealous washing removes the protective lubricant that protects the genitals from pathogens.
After washing, dry your baby's skin. First, wrap the diaper over your baby's lower body and transfer him to the changing table. Then thoroughly blot the genitals, groin, buttocks and popliteal folds.
If necessary (irritation), treat skin folds with a small amount of baby oil.
Your baby is happy with life again. Now it would be good to “air out the butt” for 5-10 minutes before putting on a new diaper.

Bathing a newborn

Why and why? Bathing a newborn (hygienic bath) is carried out for all healthy children after the umbilical remnant falls off. Before the umbilical wound heals, it is recommended to bathe the baby in boiled water or running water, but you need to add a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) to it.

Until your baby is six months old, it is advisable to bathe him daily; in the second half of his life, you can do this every other day. As a rule, children really like to swim, because before birth, water was their natural element. In water, the muscles relax, the child feels comfortable and calm. The duration of bathing in the first year of life is 5-10 minutes. Washing with soap is carried out no more than once a week. It is advisable to bathe the child no earlier than an hour after feeding, preferably 10-15 minutes before evening feeding.

It is more convenient to bathe a newborn baby together; most often, the father is called upon to help, and in many families, bathing the baby is exclusively the father’s “honorable mission.” Large and reliable male hands hold the baby’s tiny body with amazing tenderness, which contributes to the emergence and development of close contact between the child and the father, who at these moments feels very needed. But if you have to do without an assistant, don’t worry, you can do it just fine on your own.

IMPORTANT! If your baby is unwell, has a fever or signs of skin irritation, it is better to postpone bathing until you consult your pediatrician.

You will need: a baby bath, a jug of warm water for rinsing the baby, a special water thermometer, baby soap, a terry mitten, a large terry towel, a diaper, baby oil, a changing table with prepared clothes for the baby, cotton swabs with limiters or cotton swabs.

If the umbilical wound has not yet healed, prepare two containers with cold and hot boiled water or a solution of potassium permanganate to add to running water. The solution of potassium permanganate must be added to the water “drop by drop” until the water turns a faint pink color. Before using potassium permanganate, make sure that the crystals are completely dissolved, as getting a potassium permanganate crystal on the skin can cause a burn.

The air temperature in the room while bathing the child should be 22-24 degrees. You can bathe your baby in the bathroom, if it is spacious enough, or in the kitchen.

First of all, you need to prepare the bath - wash with a brush and soap and rinse with boiling water. Place the bath in a stable, comfortable position and fill it ½ full with water. First pour cold and then hot water to avoid steam formation. Now you need to immerse the thermometer in water. The temperature of the water in the bath should be 37-37.5 degrees. Measuring the water temperature with your elbow is only possible if you have sufficient experience; a thermometer is always more reliable.
Lay out the baby's clothes on the changing table, lay a towel on top, and place a diaper on it for wiping. However, you can put the diaper near the bath to make it more convenient for you to take it.
Undress the child and, if necessary, wash him. Take the baby so that the head rests on the forearm of your left hand, and hold the baby’s left shoulder joint with your fingers (the thumb clasps the shoulder from above, place the other fingers in the armpit). Use your right hand to support the baby's buttocks and legs.
Slowly immerse the baby in the bath: first the buttocks, then the legs and torso. Continue to support the baby's head with your left hand, leaving your right hand free for washing. The water level should reach the baby's armpits.
Swing the child on the water back and forth, left and right. Your movements should be smooth and unhurried. Smile at your baby and talk to him affectionately.
If you plan to wash the child with soap, then the “mitten” is put on the right hand. Lather your body using gentle circular motions and immediately rinse the soaped areas. First, wash your head from the forehead to the back of the head, then your neck, arms, chest, abdomen, legs. Rinse skin folds thoroughly. Lastly, wash your buttocks and genitals.
Remove the baby from the water with its back facing up. Rinse your body and wash your baby's face with water from a jug. Place a diaper on the baby, place him on the changing table, and dry the skin with gentle blotting movements.
Dry your ears with cotton swabs or cotton swabs.
Lubricate the folds of the skin with baby oil. If necessary, treat the umbilical wound.
Swaddle or dress your baby.

Now, to feel complete happiness, it would be nice for your baby to eat and sleep.

Morning toilet of a newborn

Why and why? We all know that “cleanliness is the key to health,” so every day we wash ourselves, brush our teeth, take a shower or bath. Without these usual hygiene procedures, a person feels uncomfortable. For a newborn baby, daily skin care is much more important than for an adult; in addition, the first habits of cleanliness begin to form unconsciously at such an early age.

The baby's daily toilet consists of washing, treating the eyes, nose, and skin folds. Until the umbilical cancer heals, it also needs to be treated daily. You need to wash your child after a night's sleep and during the day every time the child has had a bowel movement. The ears are treated as necessary in case of contamination and dried after each bathing. Children's nails are trimmed as they grow.

You will need: cotton pads (cosmetic pads), cotton wool for making flagella, baby oil or Vaseline, a container with warm boiled vodka, a container for used materials, scissors with rounded ends, cotton swabs with limiters, a set for treating the umbilical wound.

First you need to remove rings and watches from your hands and wash your hands. Prepare everything you need: open a bottle of oil,
wash the water container with soap, scald with boiling water, fill with warm boiled water,
twist nasal flagella from small pieces of cotton wool, about 3 cm long and 2-3 mm in diameter,
prepare a kit for treating the umbilical wound.

Now that you have everything at your fingertips, let's get down to business!

Washing and eye care

Washing a newborn baby is done with warm boiled water using cotton pads. Children over 3 months can be washed with running water.

Take a cotton pad, moisten it with water, squeeze lightly (so as not to drip). Wipe your baby's face in the following order: forehead, cheeks and, lastly, the area around the mouth. Discard this disc.

Then treat your eyes with separate cotton pads for each eye, moistened with warm boiled water, from the outer corner of the eye to the inner.

Take a dry cotton pad and dry your child's face in the same sequence.

Caring for the nasal passages

The nasal passages of a newborn baby are cleaned if there are crusts in them with soft cotton wool flagella moistened with petroleum jelly or baby oil.

Do not use cotton swabs on a hard base. The right and left nostrils are cleaned alternately with separate flagella. The flagella are inserted into the nose with careful rotational movements, no deeper than 1-1.5 cm.

Care for skin folds

To treat skin folds, use baby or Vaseline oil. Ready-made baby wipes impregnated with oil are quite convenient. You can moisten a cotton pad with oil, or you can simply apply it to your palms.

IMPORTANT! You cannot use oil and powder at the same time, because in this case the powder will roll into lumps, which can cause skin irritation and diaper rash.

First, lubricate the folds of the upper half of the body (from top to bottom) - behind the ears, cervical, axillary, elbow, wrist. Then, with another tampon, fold the lower half of the body (from bottom to top) - ankle, popliteal, inguinal, buttock.

Now, so that the baby does not look like an oil donut, excess oil from the skin needs to be removed with a dry cotton pad.

Ear care

The ears and external auditory canals should be dried from water after bathing. It is very convenient to use ready-made “ear” cotton swabs with limiters. If you don’t have them, you can make small tampons out of cotton wool. Dry your baby's ears with gentle blotting movements using separate swabs.

If discharge (earwax) has accumulated in the external auditory canal, you need to clean it using cotton swabs with limiters or cotton swabs soaked in Vaseline or baby oil. Insert the flagellum into the external auditory canal with careful rotational movements to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. Use a separate flagellum for each ear canal.

Trimming nails

A newborn baby's nails need to be trimmed as they grow on his hands and feet to prevent the baby from scratching himself. Special children's scissors with rounded ends are convenient and safe.

A little trick. Many mothers are afraid of the thought that they will have to cut the nails on such tiny fingers that are constantly in motion. Therefore, everyone will be calmer if they do this “delicate work” when the baby is sleeping.

Take the child's hand so that only one finger remains free, on which you are going to trim the nail. Grab the finger with the thumb and index fingers of your left hand, holding it on both sides, and with the remaining fingers of your left hand you can hold the child’s other fingers.

Fingernails are trimmed in a semicircle, and toenails are trimmed in a straight line to avoid future problems such as ingrown toenails. You need to trim your nails with continuous movements of the scissors, and not “piece by piece.” Please check if there are any protruding sharp parts left on the nails.

Don’t forget to carefully collect the trimmed nails so that if they get lost in the folds of clothes and linen, they won’t injure your baby’s skin.

What should the first brush be?

Dentists recommend switching to brushing with a toothbrush when baby teeth are at least halfway through. Your first toothbrush should have a compact head and synthetic bristles. In addition to the usual toothbrush, you can use a silicone finger brush: it massages the gums and relieves itching.

4 principles for choosing your first toothbrush:

The head of the brush should be small and cover two teeth, no more. It will be very difficult to thoroughly remove plaque with a brush with a large head due to its clumsiness.
The brush head should have silicone pads to make cleaning safe. For babies under one year old, a protective silicone ring (limiter) will not be superfluous.
The bristles should be soft, thick and short.
The handle of the brush should be comfortable for both the child and the parents.

From the age of 1 year, it is important to motivate children and fuel their interest in the cleaning process. Research has shown that using electric toothbrushes can be a way to build motivation. In addition, switching to an electric device improves oral hygiene compared to a manual brush: the amount of cariogenic microflora in saliva is reduced, and the risk of developing caries is reduced.

An electric toothbrush at an early age will allow the child to get used to the vibrations in the mouth, and it will be more convenient for parents to reach the distant teeth.

3 principles for choosing your first electric toothbrush:

For children under 5 years old, it is recommended to choose models with extra soft or soft bristles.
If the first electric brush has a bright design depicting fairy tale or cartoon characters, the child will form a pleasant association with brushing his teeth.
The size of the brush head should not exceed 2 cm, and the handle should be rubberized. This way, the child will gradually begin to pick up the brush on his own, and the small head will allow him to brush his teeth more thoroughly.

CURAPROX Curakid Baby (0 to 4 years)

CS Medica CS-561 Kids (from 1 to 5 years) Yellow

Mega Ten Kids Sonic Kitten

Hapica Baby DBB-1Y (from 1 to 6 years)

How to properly care for your first baby teeth?

The first baby teeth, the lower incisors, erupt at 4-6 months of age. Often this process is accompanied by itching, pain, increased body temperature, the child is irritable and whiny. Teething gels can be used to minimize pain. Gently massage your gums with a cloth soaked in the medicine.

The gel has an analgesic and calming effect. These preparations usually contain chamomile or sage extracts that relieve inflammation, vitamin B5 that supports gum regeneration, and, above all, anesthetics that bring immediate relief. During baby teething, you can give your baby rubber teethers that are safe to bite on, reduce itching, and speed up the tooth extraction process.

What kind of pasta should a child under 3 years old have?

If we look at clinical studies that were conducted on the principles of evidence-based medicine, the main component in children's toothpastes is fluoride. Only they confirm their effectiveness in preventing caries.

However, it is widely believed that children under 3 years old should not brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste. This position is due to the risk of developing fluorosis due to an excess of fluoride in the body - destruction and darkening of the enamel. But an excess of this substance is possible only in areas with a high fluoride content in water, and is also due to genetics.

The fluorine content in water can be checked on the Russian water map. And the genetic predisposition can be determined by the attending physician after passing tests. If the quality of drinking water is normal and tests are normal, dentists usually recommend using a toothpaste with a low concentration of fluoride (up to 500 ppm) at an early age.

In addition to fluorides, it is recommended to look at the abrasiveness of the paste (up to 50 RDA), as well as the presence of therapeutic and preventive additives in the composition: enzymes, xylitol, herbal extracts.

What to look for in the composition when choosing a paste:

Abrasives - An alternative, non-traumatic but effective abrasive is silica. It is worth giving preference to toothpastes containing this substance.
Fluorides - Organic fluorine contains compounds such as amino fluoride (olaflur).
Dairy enzymes - lactoferrin, glucose oxide, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase. All of them stimulate the development of beneficial microflora, strengthen local immunity and restore the acid-base balance of the oral cavity.
Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute with properties beneficial for teeth and gums. It prevents the growth of bacteria and reduces the risk of caries.

Biorepair Kids toothpaste with strawberry flavor (from 0 to 6 years)

Apadent Kids toothpaste with strawberry and grape flavor (from 0 years old)

Toothpaste Brush-Baby Apple-mint (from 0 to 3 years)

Toothpaste Mamiae Strawberry up to 6 years

First visit to the dentist

The first visit to a pediatric dentist should take place after the first four teeth have erupted. A pediatrician is a doctor who primarily deals with the treatment of young children and has a special approach and knowledge in this area. At the first visit, the doctor assesses the condition of the teeth, the correctness of eruption and checks for signs of caries. The first visit is called an adaptation visit, during which the child gets acquainted with the doctor, the office and wakes up for the first time in front of the dentist. This visit mainly introduces the child to a new environment and explores the oral cavity. If there is already a need for treatment, it will be carried out at the next visit.

Baby teeth are of great importance for the health and proper development of the child. They are responsible for proper bite, proper food intake, and influence the development of permanent teeth and the child’s entire face.

Make an appointment with a dentist at Apollonia Dental Clinic.

How to cure tooth decay without a dentist

It is believed that it is impossible to cure a tooth affected by caries without visiting a dentist. But only if it is not caries at the chalk spot stage - this is the initial stage of caries, when calcium is washed out of the tooth enamel. At this moment, the tooth is most susceptible to attack by cariogenic bacteria. But the damage can still be stopped without visiting the dentist.

For example, using remineralizing gels. They contain all the necessary minerals that fill the washed areas: for example, in Tooth Mousse, casein performs this function. This way the tooth regains its original appearance and receives additional protection from carious formations.

Even if a child, at first glance, does not have caries, the gel can be used for prevention.

Gel for strengthening teeth ROCS (ROCS) Medical Minerals with tuber flavor…

Gel for strengthening teeth ROCS (ROCS) Medical Minerals with fruit flavor…

Tooth gel GC Tooth Mousse Strawberry

Tooth gel GC Tooth Mousse Multifruit

When to wean off a pacifier to avoid problems with bite

The habit of putting everything in the mouth can lead to poor articulation of the tongue, lips and jaw when swallowing, as well as an open bite. Studies have shown that a child can be weaned off the habit of sucking a pacifier up to three or four years of age. But since such a habit has biomechanical reasons, it can be difficult to wean a child - in this case, the help of a psychotherapist is necessary.

To avoid problems with bite, it is important to give up the pacifier in time. By 8–9 months, if complementary foods are introduced in a timely manner, the sucking reflex is gradually replaced by a chewing reflex. It is from this age that it is recommended to start giving the baby a pacifier less - it will be psychologically and physiologically easier for him to wean himself off the habit.

Rules for oral care up to 3 years

Only good hygiene can help avoid caries. To ensure effective brushing, follow these rules.

You need to brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed.
The correct brush movements are sweeping, from the gums to the tip of the tooth.
Don't forget about the inner surface of your teeth.
Show your child that you enjoy brushing your teeth. Set an example for him.

Your child’s first impressions of going to the dentist depend on oral hygiene. When the rules are followed and caries does not occur, communication with the doctor is reduced to medical examinations and does not leave terrible memories for life.

In the future, the child will trust the dentist and will tolerate possible procedures more easily. This means that caries will be treated on time and will not lead to complications.

All the most necessary hygiene products for children from 0 to 3 years old are collected in our children's set No. 1. It includes:

Splat Baby toothpaste with apple and banana or vanilla flavors with a fingertip included;
Curaprox Curakid toothbrush;
Gel Pansoral “First teeth”;
Brush Baby wipes with xylitol;
Toothbrush holder Miradent Funny Animals.

These are basic products that will help your child maintain healthy oral microflora and fight tooth decay.

Bathing

You need to bathe your baby every day before feeding (the baby should not be full or hungry), at a time convenient for you, for 5–7 minutes. At your request, the following can be added to the water: herbal infusions, special bathing products (milk, lotion, oil, foam - they all have their own indications). Our consultants will help you choose the product that best suits your child. It is recommended to bathe with soap no more than once a week. Up to 3 weeks of age (until the umbilical wound heals), it is better to bathe a baby in boiled water at a temperature of 37.5-38 oC. Lower the child into the water slowly, first the legs, then the body, so that the upper chest and head are above the water. Up to 1.5–3 months, the baby can be swaddled before bathing (and at any other time you can use free swaddling), and the procedure becomes an imitation of being in the womb. In the bath, you must pay attention to the eyes, ears, nose, genital tract and all folds. When removing the child from the bath, cover him with a pre-prepared diaper and towel. Before you start treating the skin, you can first feed the baby, while the baby is fed, he adapts to the conditions of the room, dries out a little, and only then you can apply the cream, treat the umbilical wound, dress, etc.

A newborn baby requires a lot of attention and care. And we hope that these short notes and advice from our specialists will help you properly organize hygienic care for your miracle.