Well Child Center

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Dental Health

Weaning from the Baby Bottle

When it comes time to offer the cup, what’s the best way to help your baby say good-bye to the bottle? The transition away from bottle can be emotional and slightly terrifying as a parent. Weaning can mark the end of babyhood in many ways. However, many more milestones are yet to come! Just remember that the weaning process is…a process. And starting when a child turns 1 year old will be easier than beginning when he or she is older. 

When should you wean baby off the bottle?  

Pediatricians and Pediatric Dentists say that babies should begin weaning at 12 months – and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends to complete weaning from the bottle by 15 months old. Babies rarely give up their bottles easily – which is why so many toddlers continue use it long past the recommended 12 months of age. 

Why should I wean baby off the bottle? 

There are plenty of good reasons to kick the habit by age 1. Toddlers who continue to drink from the bottle may be filling up on liquids and skipping solids – essentially hindering their appetite for foods and important nutrients. Also, bottles boost tooth decay. Milk contains lactose, a type of sugar, creating an environment for bacteria to grow. And if you’re giving your child juice in the bottle, that’s even worse. Furthermore, because the bottle significantly increases the risk of cavities, the likelihood that your child will have a dental issue also increases. 

How do I wean baby off the bottle? 

Introduce the cup at 6 months old. In the beginning, most of what you serve in a cup will end up on the floor or on your baby, ultimately creating a mess. But by 12 months old, most babies have the hand coordination needed to hold a cup and to drink from it properly. 

Quitting the bottle cold turkey may work for a few babies, but for most, a gradual transition is best. That means phasing out one feeding session at a time. Morning and midday bottles are easier to eliminate than the evening bottle (because most children are attached to the nighttime bottle as an evening ritual before bed). Therefore, as you encourage baby to drink from a sippy cup, begin to drop the morning or midday bottle first then wait a few days (or a week) before you replace the next bottle. Gradually offer more of a sippy cup and less of the bottle. For the nighttime bottle, many parents find it useful to switch up bedtime routines. Do something different, and stress that it is only for “big” boys and girls, while bottles are for babies.  

At age one, doctors also recommend switching from formula to cow’s milk. This can also serve as a natural transition to offer milk in a cup rather than a bottle. 

Most importantly, be patient! No baby will readily hand over the bottle, and weaning is usually the first time your actions as a parent will make your child unhappy. It is normal to struggle, but think of this as your first of many parenting challenges and try to be consistent. If your child continues to cry for the bottle after a few times of doing without and you give them a bottle once again; you have sent baby the message that crying gets them what they want. Weaning your child from the bottle will not happen overnight. Be persistent, working on weaning day to day. 

Pediatric Dental Clinic Reopens!

Well Child Center Pediatric Dental

For our Pediatric Dental Clinic patients,

We are excited to announce that we are now open for appointments. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.

You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:

  • Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. Temperatures will be taken upon entrance to our clinic.
  • We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
  • You may choose to wait in your car. Our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
  • Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
  • We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 847-930-6721  

Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.

Let Well Child Center Become Your Dental Home

Dental caries, also known as dental decay or cavities, is the most common chronic disease among young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 40% of children have decay by the time they enter kindergarten. And sadly, majority of decay is left untreated! The good news is that cavities are preventable.

The foundation of optimal oral health begins in the first years of life. However, many parents of young children don’t see the importance of seeing the dentist early. All too often parents say, “my child is too young”, “he doesn’t have enough teeth yet”, or “cavities in baby teeth don’t matter, they’ll be lost anyways.” All these statements are not true.

It’s recommended that children begin seeing a dentist at 1 year old, despite having little or no teeth. The first visits are to help your child become accustomed to the dentist’s chair and educate parents on the importance of caring for baby teeth. It is essential to establish a proper oral hygiene routine early to ensure development of strong and healthy teeth. Good habits formed early and performed often will help prevent decay in later years. Therefore, toothbrushing twice per day should be presented as an everyday habit and as part of your child’s daily care.

Unique to Well Child Center (WCC) is our “First Tooth Visit” Program that targets children at their first birthday. During this visit, parents and caregivers are educated on the need for regular dental check-ups – even for primary teeth. WCC dentists conduct a thorough dental exam and parents are given specific instruction on how to care for emerging teeth. A dental care kit containing essential dental care tools are given to children so they may continue an oral hygiene routine at home between dental visits. Lastly, the next dental appointment is scheduled to maintain consistent care and to establish a dental home.

WCC focuses on education and relationship-building to help empower families to prevent disease and manage dental decay. The dental home is the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-oriented way.

At WCC all children are welcome despite their parent’s insurance status and financial limitations. Call 847-930-9721 to schedule an appointment or to learn more. We’re always excepting new smiles!

About Melinda Scheibe

Melinda received a B.S. in Nutrition from Illinois State University. Upon graduation, she joined Well Child Center and is actively working as a WIC Nutritionist and Development Associate. Melinda is committed to her career as a Nonprofit professional, empowering families to reach their maximum potential.

BRUSH Training

BRUSH Training at Well Child Center

At the March 2019 staff meeting, WCC was thrilled to welcome Holli Seabury from McMillen Health and John O’Malley from Delta Dental to provide our agency with BRUSH Training. The training portrayed how oral health impacts the WIC mission, presented practical ways to speak with clients about dental health, and emphasized the importance of establishing a dental home at age 1.

Also, thank you to McMillen Health and Delta Dental for gifting WCC with teaching resources to better educate our clients! We truly appreciate your partnership and support to help us serve local children in need of WIC and dental services.