What can I expect when caring for my infant's mouth?
You have a lot to think about, but your baby's mouth might not be something you've considered. Soon after a baby is born, your doctor or nurse will examine his or her body, including the mouth. They are looking at your baby's gums, tongue and soft palate to check that they are fully developed and ready to feed.
What are common newborn baby dental or mouth issues?
- Epstein's pearls— Epstein's pearls are called pearls because of their appearance. They are white-ish pearl spots that can appear on the roof or hard palate of your baby's mouth.
- Bohn's nodules— These small, white spots appear on what is titled the anterior maxillary alveolus, or the upper part of the gums above where your baby's teeth will come in.
- Inclusion cysts— These small bumps appear along the crest of the gum ridge.
All of these bumps or cysts are considered harmless, tend to go away after a few weeks, and will not interfere with feeding.
- Natal and neonatal teeth—Sometimes babies are born with one or more teeth; these are called natal teeth. And some babies will have teeth come in within the first 30 days of life, which are called neonatal teeth. Because these are the primary, or baby teeth, and not additional teeth, it's best that you try to keep them if possible. However, your dentist may recommend removing them if they are loose, are irritating the tongue or lip, or are interfering with feeding.