Maintenance of Oral Hygiene in Infants & Children

Infant oral care is the foundation on which motivation and education for oral hygiene and various preventive dental care must be relied upon to augment the possibility of a life free of preventable dental ailments. Dental assessments and evaluations for children during their first year of life have been recommended by various organizations such as the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry and the American Association of Paediatrics. A comprehensive infant oral health care program may include risk assessments at regular dental visits. Preventive approaches include topical fluoride application, sealants, parental education on the correct methods to clean the infant’s mouth and establishing a dental home. Infant oral health is an integral part of the general well-being of an infant as they grow. It encompasses the care of the oral cavity and monitoring of the teeth’ development. Unfortunately, many expecting mothers, parents and caregivers of infants often do not receive timely and accurate education about preventive oral and dental health care. This chapter discusses the importance of infant oral health care and its clinical implications. The transition required to maintain oral health as an infant progress to early childhood is highlighted. Appropriate use of topical and systemic fluoride providing timely and appropriate oral hygiene instructions is encouraged and discussed.