Better babies and their care

by Anna Steese Richardson

As the health of the teeth is dependent upon cleanliness, they should be kept clean from the day the first pearly point forces itself through the gums. Up to this time the gums have been washed daily. Now a small, very soft toothbrush, “baby size,” should be bought, and the teeth and gums should be rubbed gently twice a day. By the time the child is able to seize and guide the brush, he will find both satisfaction and diversion in brushing his own teeth. The average child seems to be born with a desire for self-expression, and the sooner he can be entrusted with the proper care of his own body the better. The child who is washed and has his teeth cleaned by another person, often against his will, is seldom as clean a child as the one who is given to understand that keeping himself clean is a privilege.

In brushing these first teeth, it is not necessary to use any powder or paste on the brush; but a mild antiseptic solution, like listerine or glycothymoline, may be added to the water. As the little jaws fill up with teeth, their general condition must be watched closely for two reasons: first, because the condition of the teeth may be a symptom of constitutional disorder; second, because the health of the second or permanent teeth is largely dependent upon the condition and care of the first teeth.

The teeth should be brushed up and down as well as from side to side. The gums should be thoroughly cleaned, and the child should be taught to rinse the mouth well.

Watch for signs of decay. It is astonishing how soon these appear, especially if the diet is not what the child needs. Decay springs from three causes: uncleanliness, a diet which lacks bone-making properties, and disuse. The tiny brush will keep the teeth clean. If the diet tables given in this book are followed, the bones and the teeth will be properly nourished. The average mother makes the mistake of not giving the teeth enough work to do.

Dogs and all animals which chew on bones have hard, strong teeth. Human beings who eat food that requires slow, persistent mastication, such as hard tack, tough meats, etc., develop strong and generally sound teeth; while the more civilized races and the privileged few who eat prepared foods or the most delicate and tender of meats, sauces, etc., are the dentist’s best-paying patients. If the mother puts this theory into practice and gives her child’s teeth work to do, she will help harden the teeth and prevent their decay.

Especially after the fourteenth month, the diet must include broths made from meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits, plenty of starch and fats, with little sweets. Candy is especially bad for the teeth. Bread toasted in the oven, zwieback, and hard crackers should partially supplant cereals and mush. When the child is old enough to be fed meat, either chicken, lamb chop, or beefsteak broiled, may be scraped or minced away from the bone, and then the bone itself be given to the child to “pick.” The little teeth will thus have fine exercise.

The habit of swallowing solid food whole, gulping it down with water or milk, is dangerous to the teeth as well as to the stomach. If the child shows a tendency to do this, do not serve liquid food and solid food at the same time. Teach the baby by example to eat slowly and masticate each bite thoroughly.

If the first teeth are discolored and irregular, or if they decay early, have a dentist look them over. It may be necessary to treat them and have them filled long before time for the second set to appear. If decayed first teeth are permitted to remain in the jaw, or if they are drawn too soon, the second teeth will be unhealthy or irregular in shape and position.

Weaning is a process which frequently accompanies the first period of dentition—by which I mean the last three months of baby’s first year, during which time he will probably cut six teeth. The combination of teething and weaning, however, is not so fearsome as it sounds—provided, of course, that the baby has been properly nourished and is developing along normal lines.

Most of us can look back to the day when weaning the family baby was almost a domestic tragedy. The mother, more through fear than sentiment, wept and declared that, once her child did not nurse from the breast, life would never be quite the same! The baby would grow away from her! The entire family watched the process in awe, wondering whether baby would survive the sudden change of diet.