A Healthy Mouth

for Your Baby

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health
Healthy teeth are important—

even baby teeth. Children need healthy 

teeth to help them chew and to speak clearly. 

And baby teeth hold space for adult teeth. This 

healthy and give him a healthy start!

booklet can help you keep your baby’s mouth 
A Healthy Mouth 

for Your Baby

1. Protect your baby’s teeth with fluoride.

2. Check and clean your baby’s teeth.

3. Feed your baby healthy food.

4. Don’t put your baby to bed with a bottle.

5. Take your child to the dentist by age 1.
When do you

have to start

taking care 

of a baby’s

teeth?

Ann and her friend Maria were watching Maria’s children play.

“What are you doing?” asked Ann. 

“I’m cleaning my baby’s teeth,” said Maria.

“But your baby hardly has any teeth!” said Ann.

“Yes, but the dentist said there are things I can do to keep my 

baby from getting cavities,” said Maria.

“But don’t baby teeth just fall out?” asked Ann.

“Yes, but before they fall out baby teeth can decay and cause 

pain for the baby. And baby teeth are important—they hold 

space for adult teeth,” said Maria.
“What else did the dentist say?” asked Ann.

“She told me that fluoride protects teeth. She also said to feed 

my baby healthy foods and not to put my baby to bed with a 

bottle,” said Maria.

“When do you have to start taking care of a baby’s teeth?” 

asked Ann.

“As soon as they come in. Teeth can start to decay as soon as 

they appear in the mouth,” said Maria.

“I’ll have to start thinking of those things soon!” said Ann.

The dentist

said to clean

my baby’s teeth

as soon as they

come in.
1 Protect your baby’s 

teeth with fluoride.

Fluoride (said like floor-eyed) protects teeth from tooth decay. 

It can even heal early decay.

Fluoride is in the drinking water of many towns and cities.

Ask a dentist or doctor if your water has fluoride in it. If it 

doesn’t, ask about other kinds of fluoride (such as fluoride 

varnish or drops) that can help keep your baby’s teeth healthy.

Does

my water

have fluoride

in it?
2 Check and clean

your baby’s teeth.

CHECK your baby’s teeth.

Healthy teeth should be all one color. If you see spots or 

stains on the teeth, take your baby to a dentist.

CLEAN your baby’s teeth.

Clean them as soon as they come

in with a clean, soft cloth or 

a baby’s toothbrush. Clean 

the teeth at least once a 

day. It’s best to clean them 

right before bedtime.

At about age 2 (or sooner if a dentist or doctor suggests it) 

you should start putting fluoride toothpaste on your 

child’s toothbrush. Use only a pea-sized drop of toothpaste 

about as big as this—

Young children 

cannot get their 

teeth clean by 

themselves. Until they are 7 or 8 years old, you will 

need to help them brush. Try brushing their teeth first 

and then letting them finish.
3 Feed your baby

healthy food.

4 Choose foods without a lot of sugar in them.

4 Give your child fruits and vegetables for snacks.

4 Save cookies and other treats for special occasions.
4 Don’t put your baby 

to bed with a bottle.

Milk, formula, juice, and other drinks such as soda all have 

sugar in them. If sugary liquids stay on your baby’s teeth too 

long, it can lead to tooth decay. (And decayed teeth can 

cause pain for your baby.)

What’s one of the most important things 

you can do to keep your baby from 

getting cavities?

Avoid putting him to bed with a 

bottle—at night or at nap time. 

(If you do put your baby to bed with 

a bottle, fill it only with water.)

Here are some other things 

you can do:

4 Between feedings, don’t give your 

baby a bottle or sippy cup filled 

with sweet drinks to carry around.

4 Near his first birthday, teach your 

child to drink from an open cup. 

4 If your baby uses a pacifier, don’t 

dip it in anything sweet like sugar 

or honey.
5 Take your child 

to the dentist.

Your child should have a dental visit by his first birthday. 

At this visit, the dentist will:

4 Check your child’s teeth.

4 Show you the best way to clean your child’s teeth.

4

fluoride that can keep your child’s mouth healthy.

Talk to you about other things such as a healthy diet and 

For additional copies of

this booklet, contact:

National Institute of Dental 

and Craniofacial Research

National Oral Health 

Information Clearinghouse

1 NOHIC Way

Bethesda, MD 20892-3500

1-866-232-4528

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov 

This publication is not copyrighted.

You may make as many 

 photocopies as you need.

niH publication no. 13-2884

July 2013

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®