Should you worry about your baby getting tooth decay when she or he has no teeth? Yes. Your baby's teeth need preventive care even before she or he is born!

Before your baby is born:

What you eat when you are pregnant is important. Eating right will help you and your growing baby stay healthy. Follow your doctor's advice for eating the right foods and taking vitamins. It's also time to think about how you'll feed your baby. Remember, breast-feeding is best!

1. Protect your baby's teeth with fluoride.

Fluoride protects teeth from tooth decay and helps heal early decay. Fluoride is in the drinking water of some towns and cities. Ask your dentist or doctor if your water has fluoride in it. If it doesn't, talk to your dentist or doctor about giving you a prescription for fluoride drops for your baby.

2. Check and clean your baby's teeth.

Healthy teeth should be all one color. If you see spots or stains on the teeth, take your baby to your dentist. Clean your baby's teeth as soon as they come in with a clean, soft cloth or a baby's toothbrush. Clean the teeth at least once a day. It's best to clean them right before bedtime. At about age two, most of your child's teeth will be in. Now you can start brushing them with a small drop of fluoride toothpaste. As your child gets older let him use his own toothbrush -- but you put the toothpaste on the toothbrush until about age six. Very young children cannot get their teeth clean by themselves. Until your children are about seven years old, you should brush their teeth after they do.

3. Feed your baby healthy food.

Choose foods that do not have a lot of sugar in them. Give your child fruits and vegetables instead of candy and cookies.

4. Prevent baby bottle tooth decay

Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle at night or at nap time. (If you put your baby to bed with a bottle, fill it only with water.) Milk, formula, juices, and other sweet drinks such as soda all have sugar in them. Sucking on a bottle filled with liquids that have sugar in them can cause tooth decay. Decayed teeth can cause pain and can cost a lot to fill. During the day, do not give your baby a bottle filled with sweet drinks to use like a pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier, do not dip it in anything sweet like sugar or honey. Near his first birthday, you should teach your child to drink from a cup instead of a bottle.

5. Take your child to the dentist

Ask your dentist when to bring your child in for his first visit. Usually, the dentist will want to see a child between ages one and two. At this first visit, your dentist can quickly check your child's teeth.