Q. What are some steps that I should take to keep my child’s teeth healthy?

A.  To keep your child’s teeth healthy and continuously maintain it that way as he or she grows up, your child’s oral care should immediately start after he or she is born. Use a gauze or a clean, damp cloth to clean your child’s gums after feeding. Brushing takes place as soon your child’s teeth start to appear. This should be done with a soft and wet toothbrush with the right amount, usually a pea-sized amount, of fluoride toothpaste. To prevent what is called as baby-bottle syndrome or baby-bottle tooth decay, you should give your child a bottle during nap time or bed time that is filled with plain water instead of a formula milk or juice. This syndrome usually leads to the rapid decay of a baby’s front teeth, according to our Santa Clarita dentist.