Baby Safety Tips: A Dentist’s Perspective
As a parent, we know your baby’s safety is of the utmost importance to you. It is always amazing to hear parent’s stories of what their little one has gotten into in and around the home, and we are here to provide you with tips to avoid any falls and tears as much as possible.
Preparing Before Baby
Before the arrival of your little one, be sure to review and check off these baby safety recommendations.
- Have a professional repair or repaint any old or chipping paint throughout the home, lead-based paint is more common in older homes and should not be remedied without a trained contractor.
- See what furniture and decor need to be mounted to the wall to avoid tipping.
- Remove long tablecloths to avoid items falling from above.
- Register any baby products and furniture with the manufacturer so you can be alerted of any recalls.
- Prevent scalding by lowering your home’s water temperature to below 120 Fahrenheit.
Child Health Safety Tips
Keeping your little one healthy is just as important. A baby’s first tooth erupts around 6 months of age, and dental trauma is seen every day here at Stonebrook Pediatric Dentistry. Be sure to stay up to date on your child’s dental and pediatrician visits to assure there are no health concerns. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends scheduling their first visit within 6 months of their first erupted tooth.
- Be sure to keep utensils out of the baby’s mouth, as this poses a choking hazard as well as transfers bacteria easily.
- Never put your baby to bed with a bottle, this can decay teeth before they even erupt.
- Do not lick your child’s pacifier to clean it, any bacteria in a parent’s mouth can transfer to the child’s through saliva.
What are some other baby safety tips to keep in mind? Drop your favorite in the comments!
