Baby Dental Care

For every mom, their newborn's health is paramount. There is a huge industry devoted just to making moms feel better informed about their child's health. A well-informed mom means a better-treated, and of course healthier, child. After the basics of health care come the little details that are so important when making sure your child is safe. And a very important health detail is your child's dental health.
Contrary to what you may have heard, proper dental care is NOT something that starts after the child has already grown a mouthful of baby (or starter) teeth. Absolutely not! Your child's dental health starts at home with a variety of things you can do to help get a head start on a healthy set.
One important start is to try not to put the baby down with a bottle. Make certain there's no bottle in sight at bedtime so that the teeth will have a better chance of getting a fresh start on growth. When the teeth begin to appear, there are tiny baby toothbrushes on the market that you should always have handy. The toothbrushes are soft and easy on the child's gums, but if for any reason you feel you need something more delicate, try a cloth, making sure the cloth is soft and well-cleaned beforehand.
Remembering that we brush our teeth to keep the area cleaner so that germs and plaque don't get a chance to develop, during your child's brushing process you should always keep a very sharp eye for marks on the teeth –stains should be addressed right away to ensure a cleaner mouth environment for healthier growth.
Okay, that's just for the infant stage. When the infant is now a child with a full set of teeth, it's time to break out the fluoride (or grown-up) toothpaste and a slightly larger toothbrush to fit the growth rate of the child. And then it's time to consider diet – this will become more and more of a concern as the child grows. Naturally, reducing the snacks and sweets will be a big plus, so it's a matter of knowing when to pull back. Another very important thing to remember is that the foods you serve a child should be very high in calcium – this promotes healthier bones and let's not forget that teeth are in that class!
So just be careful and DON'T wait until a bad prognosis at the dentist office before you pay close attention to your child's diet! Healthy teeth mean fewer trips to the dentist for everyone!

Parenting Tips
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Cats and Children

 Are your kids ready to own a ca?. If so there are few things you have to make sure that they do and don't do for the health and safety of the animal.

DO encourage your children to take responsibility for feeding your cat on time. It is a good way to teach them discipline Always check every single day to make sure that the animal has been fed he or she is doing this as required or your pet could starve to death. Just because you are teaching your child responsibility does not mean your child is ultimately responsible for the pet – you are!

DO encourage your children to clean out your cat's litter box every day and empty it for you. This teaches them that along with the fun of owning a pet comes a few chores.

DO teach your children how to groom the cat. This is a message to the cat that the child is the boss. It also strengthens the loving bond between you and your children.

DO discourage children from teasing children or showing a lack of respect for its body parts. If your toddler cannot grasp the idea that pulling on a cat's tail causes it distress then it is time to find another home for the cat.

DO encourage children to leave sleeping cats alone. Cats need a lot of sleep to be emotionally help.

DO encourage your child to only speak to the cat in a soft, gentle voice. If the cat tries to swipe, bite or gnaw on a child, instruct the child to say no and set the pet down.

DO not hesitate to take your child to a child psychologist immediately if you find it abusing or torturing the animal in any way. This kind of behavior is often a precursor to serious mental, psychological and social disorders that need to be treated early.

DO not hesitate to find the cat a good home if the relationship between your child and the cat is not working out. The cat will easily adapt to a friendly environment and be happier then in one where it has to suffer abuse from a family member.

DON'T let your children kiss your cat on the mouth. This is a good way to catch a virus or a cold.

DON'T let your child handle a kitten that is less than three weeks old. Often kids can't keep their hands off the mother and the kitten. Handling the kitten too early not only compromises its immune system but also traumatizes both the mother and the kitten emotionally.

DON'T let your child mistake the litter box for playing in his or her own sandbox. Conversely don't allow your cat to go in your children's sandy play areas.

If for any reason you think your child may abuse a cat or is not ready to do any of the things recommended in this article then it is probably best not to have one at all.

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