Key Points For Your Child’s Teeth
Your child’s teeth goes through a lot of changes.
Teething
Your child’s first teeth may start coming in around 6 through 8 months. This is a process called teething. Often, babies who are teething want something to chew on. When looking for a teething ring, choose one made of hard rubber and avoid fluid-filled or plastic rings that can leak or break.
Building A Dental Home
You child should have their first dental visit at some point between the time they get their first tooth to the age of 1 year. Ideally, the office you go to for that first visit will become your child’s dental home, the place they will continue to go during childhood.
Cavity Prevention
From the minute your child’s first tooth comes in, it is at risk of developing a cavity. A cavity is a hole in the tooth caused by bacteria. Cavities might not be painful at first, but they can become painful and, left untreated, can cause an infection in other parts of the tooth or the body.
There are several things you can do to help prevent cavities in your child:
▪brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
▪clean between teeth that are side by side once daily
▪limit sugary snacks and drinks
▪ask your dentist about sealants.
Brushing
When your child is young, you will need to brush their teeth for them. Children need to be able to handle a child-sized toothbrush well enough to clean all surfaces of every tooth. Some say children are ready to brush their own teeth about the same time as they can tie their own shoes. Even after your child starts brushing for themselves, you might supervise to make sure they are doing a thorough job and using the right amount of toothpaste. Children younger than 3 years should use a smear of fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice). Children 3 years and older should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. They should not swallow toothpaste. Swallowing too much fluoride may cause discolorations or pits to form on the permanent teeth that are developing beneath the gums.
Clean between the teeth
Cavity-causing bacteria can grow between the teeth. The space between teeth that are next to each other should be cleaned once per day. You or your older child can gently use dental floss, floss holders, or tiny brushes made for cleaning between the teeth.