How do I protect my baby? | How contagious is periodontal disease?

How do I protect my baby?

It is very important to protect your baby from periodontal bacteria. This is best achieved by avoiding direct exchange of saliva, for example kissing, or indirect transmission. The latter can be done by using a pacifier or testing the warmth of food or milk for the baby with your own tongue.

You should also make sure that the baby does not take anything into its mouth that has already come into contact with its own oral cavity. Furthermore, the outbreak of a disease is dependent on the baby’s immune system, just as with adults. A healthy diet and the right nutrients for a good immune system in the baby are therefore very important.

Furthermore, early and correctly performed oral hygiene is one of the basic requirements for a healthy oral flora. This should start with the beginning of the teeth and be carried out with a small soft toothbrush designed for the appropriate age. But even during pregnancy, the still unborn baby must be protected from periodontal disease. Interestingly, animal experiments and clinical studies show correlations of periodontitis in pregnancy and underweight premature births. For this reason, especially extensive oral hygiene during pregnancy is very important.

When do I need antibiotics?

In many cases, a basic therapy consisting of a thorough manual cleaning of the teeth and gum pockets by the dentist is sufficient to combat periodontosis. However, if it is already a severe or very aggressive form of periodontosis, an accompanying antibiotic treatment is necessary to stop the inflammation. Usually the antibiotic is administered in tablet form.

However, the dentist may also apply the antibiotic as an ointment or gel directly into the gum pockets where the aggressive bacteria causing periodontosis are located. The dentist decides whether antibiotic administration is necessary. A bacterial test, which is evaluated in the laboratory, is recommended for targeted antibiotic treatment.