How many times has this scenario happened: Your baby spits out the pacifier, you retrieve it, pop it into your own mouth (ignoring grit and lint), and then put it back right into your little one’s mouth?
Whoops – That’s a Big Boo-Boo!
Mom and Dad: Do you have dental cavities? Studies show adults with cavities can transmit cavity-producing oral bacteria to their babies when they clean pacifiers by sticking them in their own mouths or by sharing spoons.
Share Love, Not Bacteria
When your baby gets those pink cheeks, slobbers, drools, and finally pushes out that first tooth — it’s a momentous occasion! It also means you need to protect that tiny, itty-bitty tooth.
Harmful bacteria would love to be introduced to your baby’s mouth so it can glue itself to the dental enamel and set up a colony. Within that colony, the bacteria work hard to break down the enamel until a cavity or an infection forms. You can prevent that from happening by not transferring your own saliva. Develop a “we don’t share pacifiers, bottles, or spoons here—just love” policy.
Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. In fact, it’s an infectious disease. A kid’s quality of life is affected when they get cavities; just think of the pain, inability to chew food well, embarrassment over discolored or damaged teeth, plus distraction from play and learning.
Baby Those Teeth!
Early age monitoring of bacterial activity will go far! The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly encourages you to start your child’s regular dental check-ups by his or her’s first birthday. The mouth is an open door, for not only cavity-causing bacteria but for many microbial infections which can enter the bloodstream.
It Starts With You, Mom!