A healthy child is a happy child!
Good health is the prime reason to keep a baby thriving. And taking care of a child’s health is the prime responsibility of parents.
When it comes to a healthy development of a child, oral health care can never be ignored. Many people perceive brushing teeth twice a day is enough for oral care. Cleaning baby’s tongue is equally important and integral part of oral health.
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Why is Cleaning a Baby’s Tongue so Important?
Negligence from cleaning a baby’s tongue usually result into a number of oral infections that may deteriorate overall health of a child. Cleaning the tongue twice daily helps in keeping a baby safe from a number of bacterial and fungal infections.
If the tongue cleaning is ignored, it accumulates food particles, which ultimately cause bad breath, dental and gum problems. Brushing and flossing are not just enough to ensure a thorough oral hygiene. When these activities are accompanied with tongue cleaning, oral health is then maintained only.
Why does a Baby get a White Tongue?
Have you ever noticed a white coating on your toddler’s tongue?
Usually all babies have such a white coating on their tongue. It starts to develop on a baby’s tongue after just a few days of birth. Try to remove this white coating with your clean finger. If the coating is easily removed, it may just be the milk residue over the baby’s tongue.
In case this white coating is hard to be removed, it may indicate an Oral Thrush. Also known as oral candidiasis, it is a condition where a fungus accumulates on tongue or inner cheeks. This fungus then produce creamy white patches which may spread to the roof of mouth, gums and even towards throat.
Though oral thrush is uncommon to healthier kids and adults, but it may occur in people with weak immunity. In such a case, it is advisable to see a doctor immediately.
What causes thrush in a baby’s mouth?
There can be several reasons for a baby to develop oral thrush.
The natural immunity system works to combat the bad germs that attack our body. It lets the good microorganism to stay inside but removes out the bad microbes.
When the immunity system is weaken, the likelihood for bad microbes to attack our body increases. This allows the candida fungus to grow inside mouth and result into Candidiasis.
Also the babies who are solely on mother’s feed get thrush often. It is because the babies are only fed on milk and they don’t take water for first 4 to 5 months.
How To Know If There’s A Thrush?
Timely observation and identification of a problem is always helpful in treating the disease successfully. The symptoms of Candidiasis again are clear and must be observed timely. The symptoms include:
- Creamy white lesions inside the mouth.
- Redness or burning that causes difficulty in eating or swallowing food
- Bleeding upon scratching lesions
- Cracking at the mouth’s corner
- Loss of taste
- Pain under dentures
How to Get Rid of Thrush?
Thrush can also result due to negligence in oral care. Once oral thrush is identified, it is important to see the doctor immediately. Especially with the toddlers, negligence in this case is not at all suitable.
Treating oral thrush in adults is possible using some home remedies. Apple cider vinegar is famous in this regard. Mixing apple cider vinegar in warm water and sipping it throughout the day can be useful in getting rid of thrush.
Another home remedy is using yogurt. Besides, oil pulling is an emerging tradition. Since oils carry anti-fungal properties, treating thrush with oils definitely helps.
For toddlers, thrush can be avoided making oral hygiene a regular and primary concern. After all the care, even if the baby gets oral thrush, then using sterilized cloth dipped in warm water can be effective.
Toddlers with thrush must be taken to the doctor immediately. In some cases, the doctors suggest Mouth Paint or some tongue cleaners that can be applied on baby’s tongue using finger. But the treatment must be prescribed by the doctor. Self-medication with such little children is not recommended.
7 easy ways to clean baby’s tongue
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Many inexperienced parents are frightened of the idea to clean the tongue of their babies. They feel it awful for babies to go through this cleaning process. Hence they avoid tongue cleaning which results into a number of health problems as mentioned above.
Below are some easy ways to clean a baby’s tongue in order to make the job simple for parents. Using these simple and handy tricks can keep the baby healthy and parents happy.
1. Clean After each feeding
The first easiest way to keep baby’s mouth clean is to make it a habit of cleaning mouth after each feeding. Many people consider it insignificant but actually it is not.
This cleaning habit must be developed soon after the birth of a child. It is necessary to keep the baby clean right from the first day. This is how children also learn cleanliness as they learn it from parents from day one.
Before putting the baby to bed, it is advised to clean the tongue and gums. Don’t wipe the tongue immediately else it will cause the baby to throw up.
Ignoring this regular practice causes the milk residues to be deposited on tongue which later on become hard patches. These patches are tough to be removed then. It also hurts the baby while attempting to clean these hard spots from tongue.
2. Keep your Hands Clean
Keep yourself clean first, if you want your child to stay healthy.
Before you put your fingers in your baby’s mouth, make sure it is completely clean. Your slight negligence may result into transmittance of germs into baby. This becomes one of the reasons for baby to suffer from diseases. Thoroughly wash hands before feeding your child and while cleaning the mouth.
3. Clean the mouth in one Attempt
Tongue cleaning is something which is usually unpleasant to the child. Bothering the toddler over and over for this purpose may irritate the child.
Rather, attempting this effort for one time successfully is much appealing to the tot. The child usually resists while you try to clean mouth. So your efficiency in this regard can tackle the baby.
Don’t lose your patience. A baby may not be happy with you and give you a tough time while cleaning. But your reassurance with a smile can be very helpful.
4. Hold the Baby Properly
The position of baby while cleaning the mouth is very important. A fussy baby who is trying to get rid of your lap will not let the job easy for you. So it’s important to cradle the baby to a comfortable position. Holding the baby in your lap where the baby’s head is supported against your baby is the right position.
This helps the baby feel secure and enable you to see clearly inside the baby’s mouth.
5. Wipe the Mouth Gently
Once you and your baby are all set to get the tongue clean, now comes the question how to wipe it.
Remember, tongue cleaning involves cleaning the gums and roof of mouth along with tongue. So learning the skill is a great help.
Wiping the baby’s tongue using the appropriate stuff (discussed below) in circular movements is the right procedure. Just wrap the cleaning fabric or gauze around your index finger and moisten it in lukewarm water. Let the baby open his mouth by keeping your finger over baby’s lower lip. Then gently rub the tongue and gums with your index finger in circular movements.
6. Select the Appropriate Cleaner
Using the appropriate wipe is another important factor to consider. If you are regularly cleaning the tongue, then commonly available sterile cleaners or baby cloth will be sufficient to wipe the mouth.
In case of fussy and stubborn deposits, gum cleaners are advised. Even if they are not helpful, the baby must be taken to the doctor.
7. Using Sterile Cleaners
Sterile cleaners like surgical gauze are over the counter stuff that can be easily bought from the local pharmacy. It is something every parent must keep in their child kit.
Fiber cloth is also a good sterile cleaner to keep the baby’s tongue clean. Since they are sterilized, they can be safely used for cleaning purpose.
8. Using Baby Cloth
The most common practice is to use soft baby cloth that does not harm the soft tongue. A soft muslin cloth is very effective in doing this job.
The baby cloth must first be wet using lukewarm water to make cleaning easy. This also helps in cleaning off the germs on the cloth as well. This is extremely important to be cautious about hygiene. Else germs can be easily transmitted into the baby.
9. Using Tongue Cleaners
If you are fighting with the fussy deposits, a normal cloth may not be sufficient. A gum or tongue cleaner is the right call in this case.
It is suggested not to use fluoridated cleaners as there are chances for a bay to ingest it.
10. Using Baby Toothbrush Cleaner
Not suitable for new born babies, but toddlers’ tongue can be cleaned using soft bristled toothbrush cleaners. These are small specially designed bristled cleaners that help in cleaning a little hard patches which are difficult to clean otherwise.
11. Using Cotton Swabs
Cotton swabs or soft ear buds are commonly available in all homes with kids. Dipping these swabs or ear buds into water first and then gently rubbing them over baby’s tongue is another effective way for oral cleanliness.
12. Repeat the practice
Cleaning the tongue once in a blue moon is not the right practice. It must be made a regular practice repeated daily or atleast thrice a week.
You can pick any suitable time for this service. It may be the first thing for the baby to do in the morning or the last thing before going to bed.
This practice can be made pleasant to the child by singing your baby’s favorite song or rhyme and keeping the baby engaged while you are doing the cleaning job.
Some More Tips for Baby’s Oral Hygiene
Prevention is a Better option
Regular practice of tongue cleaning can avoid many health problems among children. Rather than treating diseases or oral thrush, preventing these troubles is easier and safer.
Maintain Hygiene
Not just the oral hygiene, but hygiene in the surroundings of the baby also play an important role in avoiding oral thrush. Try to keep the toys and soothers that your baby plays with. You can’t stop the baby from taking them into mouth all the time. Keeping them clean can be a smart measure.
Parents and caretakers must wash their hands properly before feeding babies. Younger siblings while trying to cuddle the little tot may cause contamination to them. It is equally important to educate the family members about significance of hygiene for the little babies as well as for them too.
Rinse Mouth properly
Kids of older ages, like 3 years and above must be taught to rinse their mouth properly especially after brushing their teeth. The tooth paste residues are also not good for oral health.
Visit the Pediatrician
In case you identify early signs and symptoms of oral thrush, visiting the pediatrician is advisable. Also if children are too resistant to let you clean their mouth, ask your consultant to guide you some easy ways in this regard.
Top 5 Best Tongue Cleaners for Babies
Being a mommy, you are pondering over the best products that are perfectly suitable for cleaning your baby’s tongue. When it comes to choosing an infant tongue cleaner, there are a lot of things you need to look upon.
The tips are already provided for your guidance in keeping little champ’s tongue clean. So, you have regarding the imperatives, let’s go hunt the best available baby tongue cleaner.
1. MasterMedi Soft Delicate Cleaning Tongue Cleaner
Oral hygiene is necessary to be maintained for everyone. But when it comes to kids, the need for oral care is even more.
MasterMedi offers a complete oral health of your newborns and toddlers. It contains a tongue cleaner for babies which is suitable for the use of newborns. The tongue cleaner has soft circle ring to make tongue and gum cleaning easy. The soft circle easily removes the milk residue and bacterial coatings. Thermoplastic rubber is used to make the soft circle which is safe for such small babies.
Pros:
- Its unique soft circle and snail pattern makes tongue cleaning an effortless job.
- Tongue cleaner is really soft.
Cons:
- The bristled brush gets separated from handle when kids are brushing independently.
2. Orabrush Tongue Cleaner
Ignoring oral hygiene results into a number of problems among kids. Among such problems comes bad breath as the first.
Orabrush has designed its tongue cleaner to combat oral health issues. It thoroughly cleans baby’s soft tongue and avoid causing bad breath. The soft brush is baby tongue friendly and keeps it clean from bacterial deposits.
This tongue cleaner for babies requires no gel or any chemical to clean the tongue. Its soft brush is effective in doing the job. Its cleaning is strong enough to keep the breath fresh up to 12 hours.
Pros:
- Tongue cleaning is made effortless with this tongue cleaner
Cons:
- The end of the cleaner is so wide that it causes gagging wile tongue cleaning.
3. Smile Frida Tongue Cleaner
If you really want to develop the habit of maintaining oral hygiene among your kids, then Smile Frida tongue brush is absolutely the right call.
It is so soft that it never hurts little tot’s tongue. On the other hand, it keeps the mouth completely clean and fresh. So, there is no doubt in saying that this is a best baby tongue cleaner.
Pros:
- Kids like the attractive color of tongue cleaner.
Cons:
- It takes efforts to clean the tongue.
4. Edison Lollipop Tongue Cleaner
What an attractive shape to make kids habitual of oral care!
This baby tongue cleaner offers a creative cleaner that is available in different colors. It’s made of soft antibiotic rubber that is too effective in removing tongue fur. Thus, it keeps the tongue pink in color, fresh and avoid bad breath. It is also helpful in preventing dental cavities.
Pros:
- Kids love the attractive lollipop shape.
- It comes with an exclusive case that makes storage of cleaner easy and portable.
Cons:
- The plastic handle is not that long lasting.
5. Healthllave Baby Tongue Cleaner
This one is an interesting finger tooth brush and tongue cleaner for babies. The small sized brush is ultra-soft to clean babies’ teeth and prevent oral diseases. On the opposite side of the brush, tongue cleaner is there to get rid of tongue bacteria.
The small sized brush comes in a plastic case that can be easily worn on a finger by adults. Then you can easily brush your tot’s teeth or rub the tongue. It is so convenient that it never causes any irritation to the kid.
Pros:
- It is small enough to be managed easily in an infant’s mouth.
- It comes in a hygienic case to keep it germ free.
- It is two-in-one: a tooth brush and a tongue cleaner.
Cons:
- It can’t be used for children over 2 years of age.
Conclusion
Oral hygiene is extremely important to be maintained in order to ensure healthy development of a child. Parents must take necessary measures to keep the teeth, tongue and gums of the babies clean.
This article has shed light upon the significance of oral hygiene and some of the problems that may appear as a result of negligence. Not confined to the basic knowledge, this article has further presented some easy ways to make oral cleaning possible for parents.
Furthermore, the best available tongue cleaner for babies are compiled in the article as well to give you better insights to choose the right product for the baby.