Moms with active gum disease should avoid cross
contaminating their saliva with the child’s mouth.
Dental caries is an infectious disease. You are
accidentally
spreading the bacteria to your child
by tasting their
food, using the same utensils and sharing
saliva with your baby via kissing or other oral contact.
If the “bad” bacteria that may be in mom’s mouth (or
other family members) get a “hold” in the child’s mouth
early, this can lead to baby bottle tooth decay (or “early
childhood caries”).
Mom: if you have dental problems
such as lots
of swollen or bleeding gums, missing teeth, large
numbers of llings, or wear a denture, it is best to use
a clean utensil in your baby’s mouth, and to avoid
getting your saliva in the child’s mouth.
After the child is born,
get the child used to water
in t
heir bottle at bedtime. No fruit juices or milk products
during sleep. Baby bottle tooth decay is a devastating
and expensive disease to treat and leaves your child with
lots of pain and infection affecting them for a lifetime of
dental problems.
Visit the dentist at the time of emergence
of the
rst tooth, or by the rst birthday. This appointment will
be to observe the baby’s mouth and to review with the
caregiver/family the best way to proceed with your
baby’s oral health.
Create a “Dental Home” for your family
to ensure life-long oral health with these
easy lifetime steps:
Preventative oral health starts at home. LIBERTY
Dental Plan (LIBERTY) recognizes this and has created
a Disease Management Program that is the only one
of its kind. This in-home program educates families
on the benets of adopting a proactive attitude
towards managing disease through good oral health
practices. Families are encouraged to
build a “Dental
Home” – an environment that encourages members
of the family to have regular dental checkups and habitual
oral hygiene practices right in their own home.
Good pre-natal health of the pregnant mom.
Have mom’s teeth checked in advance of, and during
pregnancy – especially the gum health. Have routine
cleanings up through and after the birth of the child. Take
care of any chronic gum infection as early as possible in
the pregnancy to avoid circulating inammatory agents
in the blood affecting the development of the child. This
will reduce the bacterial load in mom’s mouth making it
harder to transmit to baby after birth.
Creating a Dental
Home for Kids
LIBERTY cares about more than just teeth!
Stage 1
Pregnancy
Stage 2
Newborns
A “Dental Home”
produces and maintains
healthy smiles
1
www.libertydentalplan.com
© 2020 LIBERTY Dental Plan Creating-a-Dental-Home-for-Kids-Eng RN 01 2020
Making members shine, one smile at a time
™