• If your child: Shortens the nursing time.
Gets distracted when held for feeding.
• Wants to hold the bottle alone.

At about 9 months of age, most babies are ready to begin weaning. An ideal way to try is to place an empty cup within your baby's reach so that your baby can become familiar with the cup as you begin to drink from your cup, your baby may begin to tray and imitate you by bringing the cup to his/her mouth.

The easiest way to begin weaning your baby from breast or bottle-feeding is to replace one of those feedings with a cup feeding. A great place to begin is the feeding that offers the least amount of resistance from your child. As soon as your child adjusts to the cup feeding, replace a second breast or bottle-feeding. Giving your child a bottle before or while in bed is not recommended. If your child takes one to bed eliminate this feeding first.

It is important to keep your baby's teeth clean and healthy because baby teeth have so many different purposes while in the baby's mouth. Baby teeth hold spaces open for permanent teeth to come in. They help form the shape of your baby's face, help the child to talk more clearly and help the child to eat and chew more easily.

Tooth decay can result when baby teeth are not cared for. Tooth decay will cause discomfort for your baby or child. Some cases of tooth decay, depending on the severity, can cause an infection. One sign of infection in the mouth is discomfort or swelling around the tooth or gums. The baby will also not eat or drink his/her favorites. Another sign may be a pimple like mark on the gums above the tooth. If this should happen, consult your dentist as soon as possible.

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the plaque (plak) that forms on the teeth. When the child eats, drinks or takes medicine that has sugar in it, the bacteria produces acid. The acid destroys the teeth or in other words, cause tooth decay.

To prevent tooth decay clean your baby's teeth with a soft cloth after each feeding. As the child grows older, a toothbrush may be used, as long as someone supervises the child's brushing. It is suggested that toothbrushing be supervised until about the age of 8 or 9. Try not to give your baby or child large amounts of sugary foods on daily basis. Use the candy as a reward every once in a while. Brushing your child's teeth with toothpaste is recommended only if you are using one of the ADA (American Dental Association) approved toothpastes with some amount of fluoride. Such toothpastes (Crest, Colgate, AIM, Aqua Fresh ect.) can be found in local grocery stores. Almost all brands make children's flavor toothpaste.

A severe case of tooth decay can occur when the baby is allowed to use wither the bottle of breast as a pacifier. When the baby goes to sleep with a bottle of apple juice or milk in his or her mouth, the acid that is formed breaks down the tooth enamel very quickly. Instead of the child swallowing the liquid it sits and covers the teeth all night long; that causes the enamel to break down and cavities to form. To prevent "baby bottle tooth decay," try and avoid bedtime and naptime feeding or long frequent feedings. Use the bottle at feeding time only, and not as a pacifier. Do not let your baby run around sucking on the bottle all day long. Wipe your child's teeth off after each feeding and before he ore she goes to bed

As your child's teeth start to appear in the mouth, your child may have some discomfort. The baby's gums may become sore and irritated, and he or she may become cranky or fussy. To help reduce irritation we suggest rubbing your baby's gums with a clean finger. Gently massaging the area will help the discomfort of your baby's mouth. Letting your child chew on something cold (like a chewing ring) will help a lot. The teething process will not make your child ill. It often seems that your child has a cold or mild fever along with the drooling and chewing. If your child is or becomes ill call your physician.

The first teeth are already present inside the child's jaw at the time of birth. Usually by the 6th month, the first tooth will start to appear in the mouth. By the time the child is 2 ½ to 3 years of age the child will have 20 teeth present in the mouth. Around the age of 6 the child will begin to loose his/her teeth. The upper and lower front teeth are the first to fall out. The primary molars are lost between the ages of 10 and 12 years old.

Sucking is a natural need for all babies. Usually no damage will occur from thumb sucking or a pacifier, unless the child continues past the age of 5. At this point in time, the child can begin to cause a change in the growth pattern of the jaws. Watch this habit closely when your child reaches 3 ½ to 4 years old. If thumbsucking or use of a pacifier causes changes in the jaws, the best form of treatment will be orthodontics. If the problem persists call your dentist.