Booklet - Oral Health Care for your Children

Common Problems for Cleaning Baby's Mouth If my baby does not want to open her mouth, then how can I clean her mouth? When you put your finger near your baby's mouth, your baby will slowly open her mouth as she thinks that you are trying to feed her. Try it with patience and you should be able to make your baby open her mouth. If ulcers (Aphthous Ulcer) are found inside my baby's mouth, should I stop wiping her mouth? You should keep wiping your child's mouth avoiding the ulcer, or if not possible, then stop wiping until the ulcer has healed. In general, ulcers will heal in two weeks’ time. I cannot reach the gums at the back of my baby's mouth. What should I do? You can slip your finger at the corner of your baby's mouth and then slide along the inside surface of the cheek until you reach the gums at the back of the mouth. At this point insert your finger gently in-between the upper and lower gums (as shown in the picture). Your baby will open his/her mouth and you can wipe the gums at the back. What if my baby bites my finger when I try to clean his mouth? It is natural for your baby to bite your finger when you try to put your finger into his mouth. Keep wiping his mouth and it will be opened again. When is the best time to wipe my baby's mouth? Since new born babies have not established a regular feeding pattern, it is difficult for parents to decide which meal will be their last meal of the day. Parents can then set a fixed time to wipe their baby's mouth every night. When your baby grows older (over 6 months old) and has established regular feeding habits, you can wipe your baby's mouth after the last meal of the day. I fed my baby and wiped his mouth before putting him to bed. Yet he did not want to go to bed and asked for milk again, what should I do? The reasons for wiping your child's mouth after the last meal of the day are to get your child accustomed to cleaning his mouth regularly and going to bed with a clean mouth. Generally, it is only out of habit that children ask for milk before going to bed. Parents can feed them with water, or keep them preoccupied by patting, singing a song or telling a story.