Healthy teeth begin with healthy habits. Brushing, flossing, using fluoride, following a healthy diet, and making routine dental visits are key components to good dental hygiene, which is just as important for a child as overall health.
1) Baby Teeth are More Vulnerable
Your child’s baby teeth come in around six months of age, and they don’t completely finish breaking through until around age two. Many caregivers believe because baby teeth are replaced with adult teeth, their care is less important. However, that is not the case. Baby teeth are more susceptible to cavities than adult teeth. We understand that getting a small child to brush is difficult. Start carefully brushing your child’s teeth when the first one comes in. That will help them get used to the routine.
2) Prevention of Dental Disease
Teeth are at risk for a variety of dental diseases such as gingivitis, cavities, infections, and plaque. When you consider a child’s teeth are already more vulnerable due to lower mineralization density, it makes sense to start protecting them early. Since they will eventually manage the care of their own teeth, brushing, flossing and using appropriate toothpaste should be a part of your child’s daily routine. That way, they will be equipped to properly care for their teeth as they grow.
3) Improved Speech Development
The importance of oral hygiene during childhood extends past aesthetics. It’s a lesser-known fact that healthy developed baby teeth affect a child’s ability to speak. Prematurely lost or badly formed teeth can contribute to difficulty with pronunciation. Pronunciation and speech development are intrinsically linked. In the most extreme cases, children can develop speech impediments.
4) Aid In Healthy Permanent Tooth Development
Baby teeth stay with a child a long time. It is not until they are around five to seven years old that they begin to lose baby teeth and gain adult teeth. As adult teeth come in, they undergo a process called second maturation. During that period, they are more porous and susceptible to bacterial collections around baby teeth as their enamel is not fully strengthened. Taking care of your child’s baby teeth literally protects their new adult teeth from early damage.
From baby teeth to adult teeth
In general, baby teeth start to appear between 4 and 7 months old. The first teeth to come in are usually the 2 bottom front teeth. Most kids have all 20 baby teeth by about 3 years of age.
Children can lose their baby teeth as early as 6 years old and as late as 12 years old. During this process, your child has a mix of teeth as baby ones fall out and adult ones break through. Some kids need orthodontic treatment, such as braces. A full set of adult teeth is 32 teeth. This includes wisdom teeth, which most people do not get until their late teens or early adulthood.
Steps to Protecting Your Child’s Smile
- Brush teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, before bed and on one other occasion
- Supervise your child during toothbrushig until they are at least 7 years old
- Just spit after toothbrushing; rinsing washes the fluoride protection away
- Reduce the amount and frequency of sugary food and drinks
- Wear a mouthguard when playing sports
- Use a fluoride mouthwash, if recommended by your dentist. Use this at a different time from tooth-brushing to increase protection throughout the day
- Ensure you visit your dental professional regularly