Good Mouth Health and Feeding Your Baby
Last week we talked about pregnancy and your baby, how baby teeth begin forming and a pregnant mom's diet during pregnancy as a very important part of healthy tooth development.
Today I am going to dive into the breastfeeding vs bottle feeding debate. My opinion and research of how feeding your baby affects your baby’s mouth, teeth and face growth and development.
What you eat during your pregnancy affects the development of your baby which includes their teeth.
Your baby’s primary teeth begin mineralizing and building the inner part of the tooth, called dentin, around the sixth week and the hard enamel layer that covers it known as enamel around the third or fourth month of pregnancy.
While teeth are the hardest surface of the body and the only part of our skeleton we clean they are not indestructible and are vital to the growth and development of your baby.
Pregnancy and the first years of your baby’s life are very significant and memorable, you will want to take good care of yourself and get your baby off to a healthy start in life. Their mouth is important to their growth and development, it affects eating, sleeping, speech, behavior, self esteem and overall health and wellness.
After the Baby is Born:
Most babies are not born with teeth at birth, however, it does happen occasionally!
The majority of baby’s begin to get their primary teeth in their mouth at about six months of age. My daughter however, did not get her first tooth until she was 13 months. So don’t panic if your baby does not follow the “normal” pattern of eruption.
Most children develop a full set of 20 teeth by the age of three. Having healthy, strong baby teeth will help your child chew and swallow easily, speak clearly, smile, and provide face shape.
Nursing plays an important role in the shape of your babyface and palital development. The roof of your baby’s mouth is the floor of their nasal cavity. As a dental hygienist and oral myofunctional therapist I prefer breastfeeding it is not always possible.
There is not a lot of discussion that happens about ways to feed your baby, yet they are crucial to mouth development.