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Kid's Teeth - everything you wanted to know about your children's teeth, but were afraid to ask!
When should baby teeth come in?
When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
At what age should my child have his/her first dental visit?
How do I prepare my child for the first visit?
Why does my child grind his/her teeth?
What is a sealant?
When should baby teeth come in?
When your baby is about six months old, you'll probably see a first tooth in the lower front area. Sometimes teething begins as early as three or four months. But it can start as late as a year. The following is a diagram showing when you should expect each tooth to erupt and when it will be lost prior to the adult tooth coming in.
When should I start cleaning my baby's teeth?
Start cleaning your baby's mouth and gums even before the first tooth arrives. Simply use a clean face cloth on your finger to wipe your baby's gums in the bathtub or at bedtime. This way they will be accustomed to the procedure long before they begin to teethe. When the first few teeth come in you can still use a washcloth or switch to a very soft babies' toothbrush. It is most important to clean your child's teeth just before they go to bed. Like adults, most of the damage to their teeth occurs while they sleep! Also, never put your child to bed with a bottle containing anything but water! If you put your child to sleep with a milk or juice in a bottle, the fluid will pool around teeth and the sugars and acids in the liquid will cause their teeth to decay at an accelerated rate! At what age should my child have his/her first dental visit?
20% of all two year old children have one or more decayed teeth. Therefore, we highly recommend that a child's first dental visit should occur before his/her second birthday. Of course, if your child is younger than two and has a cavity, or his/her teeth have been injured in an accident, they should be seen as soon as possible.
The earlier the visit, the better chance we have to build a rapport with your child. This way, if and when they need to have some work performed they are comfortable with us, the office and behave well in the dental chair.
How do I prepare him/her for the first visit?
Your child's first dental visit should be an important and fun adventure. Tell him/her the dentist is a friendly doctor who will help them keep their mouth clean and healthy and their teeth looking pretty and shiny. Tell him/her the doctor will count all the teeth and check their smile. Do not share any anxiety that you may feel about the appointment or about other family member's dental visits. Don't bribe your child to go to the dentist and don't threaten subsequent visits as punishment.
It is very important to prevent fear and to avoid any statements that might imply the visit will be unpleasant such as, "It won't hurt." The painful and scary dental visits that you may remember from your childhood simply don't exist at our office.
Why does my child grind his teeth?
You child grinds his teeth when they are first coming in and not fitting together quite right. This usually happens when a child is going through the teething stage, and is a normal response to a period of growth. Most likely the child will soon outgrow it. Baby teeth are much softer than adult teeth and may show signs of extensive wear. This is not usually a cause for concern. Perhaps schedule an appointment for an examination just to be sure.
What is a sealant?
A sealant is a clear plastic coating applied to the chewing surface of the primary and permanent molars. This prevents food and bacteria from becoming lodged in the grooves of the teeth and helps in the fight against tooth decay. Sealant applications are comfortable and done in one visit. We clean and dry the tooth, apply the sealant, then allow it to harden.
Even if children brush and floss carefully, it is difficult and usually impossible to clean the tiny grooves on certain teeth. If food and bacteria are allowed to build up in these areas there is a real danger of tooth decay.
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