Children’s Teeth

A baby will have 20 teeth come through from age 6 months on wards, but this can vary greatly. Some babies are born with teeth (natal teeth) or shortly after (neonatal teeth).

Baby teeth hold the spaces for the second set of teeth to descend into.

Milk teeth have very thin enamel so they are more likely to be affected by decay and erosion if exposed to much sugar or acidic drinks.

As soon as your child’s teeth are coming through use a small bristled toothbrush and a smear of toothpaste until they are 3 years old then a pea size amount should be used. Children should be supervised whilst brushing their teeth until 8 years of age. Children should brush their teeth in the morning and last thing before bed. Use a fluoride toothpaste, try and get your child to spit and not rinse after brushing as the fluoride will be washed away and will not continue to protect their teeth. Toothpaste is the last thing that should touch your child’s teeth before bed.

Your child should visit the dentist as soon as they have their first tooth, even if they don’t want to open their mouth. The important thing is they get used to the dental practice. Bring them along to family appointments so they can become familiar with their surroundings.

Never leave your child with a feeding bottle or trainer cup in their mouth for long periods of time such as when they go to bed.

Never dip your child’s dummy or pacifier into sugary drinks or honey as this can be very damaging to their teeth.