Teething

Teething happens when the baby's teeth are starting to grow out of the gums. Your baby can be irritable due to the soreness from it. Using a clean moist washcloth or gauze to wipe your baby's gums clean once a day can help alleviate some of the soreness that occurs from the teething. This method is recommended for daily oral hygiene of infants as well. Teething is not known to cause fever.

Bottle for Bedtime

If your child needs a bottle as a comforter at bedtime, only water should be used for the bottle. Milk, breastmilk, formula, juice, all contain sugar and having it for a long period of time make it easier for bacteria to cause cavities. This habit can lead to a serious problem called “Baby Bottle Decay” where your child will suffer from cavities in a lot of their baby teeth.

I have seen young babies with bottle decay who have needed sedation in order to treat all their little blackened teeth or even those who developed infections/abscesses and needed emergency care. This always breaks the heart of the parents but first and foremost is not something we want our children to have to experience. If followed the water-only-in-bottle advice, it will help in preventing such a situation.

Thumb Sucking

A very common habit babies have is thumb sucking. The first year or so, your baby may be prone to thumb sucking as a comforting mechanism. But if this habit continues on past the age of 4-5, it can contribute to an open bite. To encourage your child to help stop this habit, compliment your child whenever they are not sucking their thumb. A bandage on the thumb or a mit over the hand can remind them whenever they attempt to bring the thumb to the mouth to stop.

Tongue Thrust and Breastfeeding

Tongue thrusting is a habit which can end up in abnormal bone development leading to an open bite and crooked teeth. There are many speculations as to what causes it such as breathing problems, large tongue, genetics, etc. But one theory which I found interesting and wanted to share as food for thought was the 'gushing milk from baby bottle' theory - I gave it this name after attending a seminar on the benefits of breastfeeding related to Orthodontics.

Babies when fed through a bottle, in order to prevent the 'gushing milk' from the nipple of the bottle, will start to push back with their little tongues. This eventually becomes a habit. Some babies overcome this once they grow up. Some babies don't.

Breastfeeding has more benefits than the contents which give babies necessary immune-related antibodies. The act of suckling on mommy's breast takes a greater amount of effort to obtain breast-milk for the baby compared to the nipple of a bottle. Therefore, the baby won't have the problem of  having to push back the 'gushing milk' with their tongue. This not only gives the baby's musculature, the needed normal level of exercise for proper/natural development of the muscles and bone, teeth positioning, and speech, but also promotes better circulation to the head and neck region.

Proper development to the head and neck may even aid in preventing certain breathing disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea which is becoming more and more prevalent. Proper teeth positioning may reduce the need for complex orthodontic treatment for your child.

So working moms who choose to use pumps for bottles, this is a great choice for when you are not with your baby. But if time allows, I encourage you to try breastfeeding directly for your baby.