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Tooth Care for Infants

Even though baby teeth are just temporary, it’s still very important to begin building a basis for good oral hygiene. You can start caring for your baby’s mouth before a tooth even erupts, by wiping the gums after feedings with a warm, damp cloth wrapped around your finger in order to rub off excess food.

Once teeth do start appearing in your child’s mouth, it’s important to begin caring for them right away. These first teeth preserve spacing for the permanent ones to fit into later. If they aren’t brushed and kept clean, it can lead to decay, which can cause an infection in the gums called gingivitis. Damage done to baby teeth and gums can affect the spacing of permanent teeth later.

Make sure you’re following your child’s meals with water. Most baby food will rinse off of teeth with just a drink of water. However, it is important to begin using a toothbrush as early as possible in order to acclimate your child to it. This will be beneficial to you as well, as children used to having a toothbrush in their mouth won’t fight brushing later on.

Schedule a dental exam with our skilled Dover pediatric dentist, Dr. Wilson, at Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry today!

Posted on Sep 29, 2015
Image Credit: © Dreamstime.com

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What Parents Are Saying

Families throughout New Hampshire trust Great Outdoors Pediatric Dentistry for compassionate, high quality pediatric dental care. Parents appreciate our friendly team, fun office environment, and the gentle approach Dr. Wilson takes with every child. We are proud to have earned the confidence of so many families and invite you to see what others are saying about their experience with our pediatric dentist and team.

★★★★★
Awesome is all I can say took my daughter in as a new patient and saw her the same day I called. Everything my daughter needs they are on top of it.
Kerrisa Atherton April 2026 , Google - Read More
★★★★★
Skye and Dr. Patrick were so lovely and patient with my daughter who gets nervous getting her teeth checked out! The office is super cute and clean and I loved that the kids can watch a movie while in the chair!
Molly Wright March 2026 , Google - Read More
★★★★★
Wonderful people to work with. Quick and easy appointments for my kids, great front office staff to work through insurance issues with, and beautiful office space.
Katie Ambrose April 2026 , Google - Read More
★★★★★
We have always been extremely happy with our experiences at GOPD! The doctor and staff are incredible! Their of knowledge of different insurance plans has helped save us money! Thank you so much!
Shawn Herrick March 2026 , Facebook - Read More
★★★★★
We had an absolutely wonderful experience. After going someone where else first that just wanted to pull teeth instead of fixing them we tried here. All the staff and doctor were absolutely wonderful. Came up with a wonderful care plan, my daughter had zero pain or discomfort and he addressed a few issues at once. We fee very comfortable with staff knowledge, explanation and care given. The self pay membership plan was also a huge cost savings as well as we self pay regardless.
Brianna Moynihan-Sienkiewicz February 2026 , Facebook - Read More
★★★★★
I cannot speak highly enough about this place. The entire staff is very kind and extremely good at what they do. Great with kids. Our appointments are always smooth, efficient, and enjoyable. The location itself is very clean, modern, and streamlined. A++
Casey Williams January 2026 , Google - Read More
★★★★★
Hands down the best experience my 2 year old and I have had yet! It was a breeze talking with Kris to schedule my son’s first dentist appointment. She was so nice and very helpful when I asked her about insurance coverage. She had Gabby in billing call me to answer a couple questions I had.

I was so nervous about my son’s first dentist appointment. He is a VERY active boy who rarely ever sits still.

When we arrived at GOPD, we liked how clean and orderly the general atmosphere was. The front desk staff were so down to earth and nice, it made me feel a lot better. We then met with dental hygienist, Sky, and she was so unbelievably sweet, patient and helpful with my son, showing him all the tools and letting him try them out. Dr. Patrick was amazing as well!

Honestly, I don’t have one bad thing to say. Everyone was so welcoming, nice and knowledgeable! My husband and I were impressed and very grateful to have found such a great place!

It was such a great first experience! Highly recommend!
Kristina Ellis April 2026 , Google - Read More

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