Advice from our favorite pediatrician, Dr. Gilgoff:
Every baby is born with their 20 teeth! They can cut through the gums at any point, but usually around 6-9 months, and most, if not all, will come in by 2 years old. Yes, they will eventually fall out around 6 years old, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore these teeth. Quite the contrary! Oral health begins as a baby, and we need to brush the teeth as soon as we see them. The washcloth with water and the finger brush are cute, but please use a real baby tooth brush with a small pea-size amount of a baby toothpaste and really brush! The “baby” toothpaste is fluoride free so it’s safe to swallow the small amount you use. You should really brush twice a day, every day – after the first meal, and after the last meal.
All formula and even breast milk has natural sugars in it, so please do brush the teeth at night, even if it breaks the nighttime routine. If your child resists or says no . . . you say yes! Parenting is all about choosing your battles, and I would choose this battle. It feels horrible to need to get a cavity drilled, and I do see this often enough, around 2.5-3 years old, so brush often and limit the sweets and treats.
A nice adult or family dentist will see your child, but when they are young, you should definitely see a true pediatric dentist. There are many excellent local pediatric dentists. Check your insurance plans – as you want it to be covered, but unfortunately most of the local dentists really don’t fully accept insurance plans or seem to be “out of network”. They’ll see your child by 1 year old, but if we don’t see any signs of caries, it may be ok to wait until 2 years old. But please don’t wait any longer than that!
Other Teeth Tips:
Try to lose the pacifier by 12 months old – it can curve the upper teeth, and they’ll get hooked on it. Aim to lose the bottle by 15 months (18 months latest) for the same reasons – and never let them fall asleep with the bottle in their mouth.
Try to avoid all sugary beverages, and if you do give juice, make it 100% juice diluted with water.
Bottle water is ok sometimes, but if you never give tap water, you may need fluoride supplementation.
Flossing is also required, but not always realistic in the young ones – but keep trying!
The following dentists have proven themselves to be excellent intelligent local dentists that have received great reviews from many of my patients.
Dr. Lois Jackson: 16 Court Street, Suite 2211, 718.855.8833, www.drloisjackson.com
Dr. Cormac MacDermott: 120 Montague St , 718.855.2855, www.brownstonedental.com
Dr. Mindy Homer: 62 2nd Place 718.797.KIDS, www.doctor-mindy.com
Dr. Janice Lau: 148 Atlantic Ave, 718.875.5437, www.brooklynheightspediatricdentistry.com
Dr. Eric Last (for older kids and adults) 21 Schermerhorn, 718.625.7102 (he does take insurance!)
Dr. Gilgoff has been working with children since 1986, and has been a pediatrician since 1996. He practices with the Mt. Sinai Doctors – Brooklyn Heights, on Court and Pierrepont. To learn more about his balanced approach, check www.Drgilgoff.com, or to schedule an appointment call 929.210.6000.