Infant Oral Health: Essential Information for Pediatricians and Pediatric NeoNatal Nursing Staf

Abstract

This manuscript focuses on relevant and fundamental aspects of oral healthcare of the newborn and infant for the pediatrician and nursing personnel. In almost all cases, these medical providers have first contact with babies and infants during the first year of life and rarely does medical curricula include time or opportunity to provide exposure to fundamentals of oral health care. As such it becomes important to provide pediatricians and neonatal nursing personnel with what will enable optimal oral health and early recognition of oro-facial normalities vs. abnormalities, relevant risk assessment and management of dental caries, enamel and tooth malformations, and common oral pathology. Discussion is primarily directed at issues that affect the newborn and early toddler until which time that a relationship is established and a dental home with a pediatric dental specialist is identified.