Hot Topic: Protecting your baby's teeth Once your baby has a tooth or two, what do you do next? Aside from feeling terribly clever (because, of course, your baby's teething progress is directly tied to your superior mothering skills!), you now have to care for them - and eventually teach him how to care for his teeth on his own. While they do eventually fall out, it's just as important to care for his baby teeth as you would his permanent ones. Baby teeth mark the space for the later permanent teeth and any early loss of baby teeth usually means that that space will be lost and possible correction of teeth (this is code for hugely expensive orthodontic work!) will be necessary later on. Introduce cleaning with water using either a soft cloth or a junior toothbrush as soon as your baby's teeth erupt through his gums. While fluoride is important for protecting your child's teeth against decay, hold off introducing a low-fluoride toothpaste until he's 18 months old. Read our top tips for tooth care
Kidspot Tip: Naming objects Sure, she's not ready yet for a game of name and point, but at this age you can begin to teach her that objects have names. As you go about your daily activities, name the objects that she comes into contact with. Hold her up, look out the window and point and name everything she can see. Make sure also to call her by name - if you do this, one of the first words she'll learn to recognise will be her own name. Learn more to encourage your baby's language development
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