Don’t be scared!
We explain what suction injury, natal teeth, short lingual frenulum, fungal infection and gingival cyst are and how to act in each case. We see them as small and defenseless, we don’t take our eyes off them for a second a day and, faced with the slightest strange symptom, we worry.
Sometimes in excess…
For this reason, at Clínica Cervera we want to do our bit to help you with the difficult task of being a mother or father by explaining what the most common oral pathologies are in newborns and how to act in each case.
##BULLET##Suction injury.
It is a small blister that appears in the center of the upper lip due to friction with the mother’s breast or the nipple of the bottle.
You should avoid touching it, so as not to cause injuries, and wait for it to come off on its own.
##BULLET##Natal or neonatal teeth.
Although it is not common, babies can be born with teeth (natal) or have them grow during their first 30 days of life (neonatal).
They usually appear in the lower gum, where the central incisor teeth will later emerge.
They have few roots and are not well formed.
For this reason, natal and neonatal teeth are extracted, as they can cause breastfeeding problems.
This also avoids the risk of them coming loose and the baby choking.
##BULLET##Short lingual frenulum.
Ankyloglossia or “tied tongue” occurs when the lingual frenulum is abnormally short and inelastic, which can restrict tongue movements.
This oral pathology is found in 1.7-4.8% of newborns and is three times more common in boys than in girls, according to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics.
A short lingual frenulum can cause difficulty eating and, later, problems that can affect speech or oral health.
For this reason, sometimes it is chosen to release the brake with a small incision.
##BULLET##Fungal infection.
If you notice whitish plaques on your lips, tongue or the inside of your cheeks that cannot be cleaned, it may be oral candidiasis.
This is a common infection in babies under six months old that can be transmitted between a mother and her child during breastfeeding or through a bottle or pacifier.
If you think your baby may have it, at Clínica Cervera we recommend that you go to the pediatric dentist to assess whether or not there is a need to apply antifungals.
##BULLET##Gingival cysts.
These are small whitish or yellowish dots (2 to 3 mm) that appear on the palate (Epstein pearls) or on the gums (Bohn nodules) in 85% of newborns.
They do not cause any pain for the baby and disappear on their own over the course of a few weeks.
Oral hygiene in newborns In addition to advising you on the most common oral pathologies in newborns, at Clínica Cervera we want to take the opportunity to remind you that we don’t have to wait until the first teeth have come out to clean our children’s mouths.
A baby’s oral hygiene begins in their first days of life.
From then until teeth appear, clean their gums with a clean, damp gauze wrapped around your finger at least once a day.