Children are all potential, but with no experience. We need to teach them good habits when they are young so they develop responsibility and independence later on. This applies to dental health as much as any part of their life.
The very first tooth will emerge when the child is about 1 year of age. A child should be taken to the dentist about this time.
The rest of the child’s teeth emerge at about the age of two. There should be 20 of the infant’s teeth. These teeth remain in the mouth for several years but are steadily lost and replaced by permanent teeth starting from about the age of 6. The last of the infant’s teeth should fall out and be replaced by the age of about 12 years (primary school age).
There will be 32 permanent teeth to replace the initial 20 infant teeth. The last 4 permanent teeth, the back wisdom teeth, come through much later, at the age of about 20
Even though the first set of teeth is not permanent it is important to look after them. It is too easy for initial problems with the infant’s teeth to carry over to the permanent teeth.
Get children into good habits when they are young:
- Children mimic some adult behaviour. Let them watch you brush and clean your teeth. Show them what you do.
- Novelty toothbrushes, with cartoon characters and timer lights, encourage good brushing.
- Flavoured toothpaste appeal to children. They are low in fluoride because too much fluoride in children causes fluorosis. Use a pea size amount.
- Children’s mouthwash is also low in fluoride. Teach them to spit out the mouthwash.
- Make regular dental appointments for children as soon as the first tooth appears, or at the age of 1 year.
- Have a playful pretend dental examination at home to alleviate the child’s potential fear of the dentist. Lie the child on a couch,
- Shine a light in their mouth, and tap each tooth with the back of a toothbrush.
- Ask the dentist about sealants for back teeth.
- Encourage sugar-free gum, with Xylitol, which is healthy for teeth. This is far better than sugary junk food.
Few of us have naturally straight teeth. Many of us require braces or another corrective measure during our teenage years. These are awkward, even painful at first. But the results last the rest of our life, so the effort is worthwhile. Discuss any tooth alignment problems with your dentist.
Chewing on moderately tough food at a young age seems to help tooth development and straight teeth later on. The mechanism behind this is still uncertain, but it seems that chewing tough food helps to slightly enlarge the jaw, allowing slightly more room for the permanent teeth to emerge.
Make a booking at Castle Hill Dentist for Children’s dental Care
Help your child develop good dental habits when it is young, and this will benefit them for the rest of their life. Include regular dental appointments so any issues can be addressed before they become serious.
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