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MAM: Babies Need Oral Care Too

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By Christine

Proper oral care for babies begins before many people think. With my first daughter we started her oral care well before her first tooth came in.  Truth be told we used a principle we had learned in puppy training classes before she was born- the idea of getting her used to the toothbrush and having us or the doctor or dentist feeling around in her mouth. 

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD), parents can begin an oral care routine at birth by gently cleaning baby’s gums with a soft cloth and water.  So proper oral care starts before the first tooth appears.IMG_0308

The puppy training inspired philosophy worked well for her and us.  Because we started so early brushing, flossing or even going to the dentist has been relatively easy for her and she is quickly approaching her fourth birthday.  Fast-forward a few years and baby girl # 2 is now 8 months old and the extent of her oral care is the occasional (washed) finger rubbing her gums to see if she has teeth – yet, so she can eat the chunky solid foods she is yearning for.

Thankfully for baby M’s sake I was provided with several products from MAM to try out.  My favorites were the MAM Bite & Brush, MAM Massaging Brush & MAM Training Brush.  Below is a bit more specific information about my favorites.IMG_0258

MAM Bite & Brush

  • The teether’s soft and pliable bristles soothe gums and gently cleans baby teeth at the same time
  • Extra lightweight design and ring shape make it easy for baby to hold
  • Recommended for babies age 3 + months. Suggested retail price: $6.99

MAM Massaging Brush

  • Baby’s perfect introduction to the toothbrush!
  • Features different surfaces to gently massage little one’s gums
  • Eases teething pain and cleans teeth
  • Recommended for babies age 2 + months. Suggested retail price: $3.99

MAM Training Brush

  • A round head gently fits baby’s mouth
  • Super-soft bristles clean teeth and gently remove plaque and bacteria from gums
  • An extra-long handle lets parent and baby hold the brush together for guided brushing
  • Recommended for babies age 4 + months. Suggested retail price: $5.99IMG_0310

Baby M was initially more interested in the packaging of the products, but once removed she immediately started exploring the textures of the MAM Massaging and Training brushes.  I was able to get them into her mouth for some brushing and she preferred the textured ends of the MAM Massaging Brush on her gums.  Her favorite product by far is the MAM Bite & Brush.  She will hold it with both hands and chew on the formed biting end, and also turn it around to chew on the handle.  All of the products are well made with parents and babies in mind and will be useful as we start to lay the foundation for good oral care.

Fun Facts, Interesting Information and More…

  • A full set of baby teeth is 20 teeth (a full set of adult teeth is 32 teeth)
  • Teething symptoms can appear 2-3 months before a tooth erupts, so babies can begin teething as early as 3 months old! Symptoms of teething include drooling, fussing, bulging gums, might waking and biting anything they can get in their little mouths
  • As soon as baby’s first tooth appears, start brushing baby’s teeth without toothpaste
  • Introduce toothpaste to baby at age 2. Remember children are learning how to spit and rinse, so only use a pea-size amount and always use children’s toothpaste
  • Children usually have their first full set of baby teeth by age 3

For more information on oral care, please visit www.mambaby.com.

About Christine:

Christine is our in house baby product reviewer. She has two children that are quite adorable, one is 3 1/2 months old and the other is three and in my son’s preschool class. When she’s not taking maternity leave she works at the local children’s hospital

MAM Infant and Toddler Product House Party

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By Reviewer Summer:

You know how you have one brand you love for something. When it came to baby needs, especially my pacifiers, it was MAM! It hadn’t started out that way, but our pediatrician actually recommended MAM and we’ve used their products now for almost 5 years between both of my sons.

The reason my pediatrician recommended MAM pacifiers is because they have a ball shape on the end instead of a triangle look:

clip_image002 clip_image004

The ball is easier to hold in whereas the triangle is easy to accidently pushed out with the tongue. This is the problem we were having when our first son was young. Since he accepted the MAM pacifier he was hooked. Pacifiers are great for reducing your baby’s risk of SIDS [Sudden Infant Death Syndrome]; doctors predict that pacifiers have this effect because of the consciousness needed to maintain a comforting suck on the pacifier throughout sleep.

But MAM isn’t just pacifiers! We got to sample MAM anti-colic bottles and nipples, oral care wash clothes, toothbrushes, and teether thanks to the PR firm Child’s Play Communication and their house parties. Here clip_image006is why I love these other MAM products:

· MAM Anti-Colic Bottles – No only do they help your baby take in less air causing less gas which can equal pain and colic, these bottles are EASY to sterilize which means less work for you! The MAM anti-colic bottles have a screw off bottom which can be filled with water, then you place the nipple on top, add the bottle cylinder, and the ring with plastic cap; microwave for 3 minutes. These are great for all babies, not just babies with colic.

clip_image008· MAM Oral Care Rabbit Wash Cloth  – Besides being SUPER cute! These bunnies will begin your infant’s oral care. My pediatrician and pediatric dentist told me to use a wash cloth on my sons’ teeth when they were first erupting. I wish I had this for my children, though my time for this product has past. Your fingers are completely covered for sterilely and proper cleaning the entire tooth removing plaque with its texture. You can get this rabbit washcloth in pink and blue.

 

 

clip_image010· MAM Training Toothbrush – If you have a child you may already know this but as a first time parent I didn’t, you need a small toothbrush for baby/toddler’s small mouth. Yeah that sounds logical, but if only I knew it. MAM has one more up on you though; their training toothbrush offers nice grips for you and a gum massager on the other end for your child. You can also get a MAM tooth brush set for only $6. Your baby will need fluoride though you should not brush your child’s teeth with fluoride until they can spit; consult your pediatric dentist. A note on fluoride, most city water supplies have fluoride included for the better of the population; if you live on well water you do not have fluoride added.

clip_image012· MAM Teether – I have a MAM’s Bite & Brush Teether and that’s exactly what it sounds like … MAM has made a teether soft for chewing with new teeth, erupting teeth, swollen gums, and pre-teething gums. The brush bite also offers texture for cleaning new teeth. If you stick this teeth (which is solid plastic, not filled with water or gel) in the freezer your child will love to gum and brush with this teether to sooth any oral pain.

 

 

 

 

Here is my family using our favorite MAM product, pacifiers:

clip_image014 My 4YO clip_image016

clip_image018 My 2YO clip_image020

And just for a laugh, this is one of our Jack Russell Terriers clip_image022

About Summer:

Summer is very active in our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.