Some children begin to grow their first baby teeth when they are as young as 6 months old. That process will continue until a set of 20 baby teeth grows. Baby teeth are vey important for the proper development of our jaws, as well as for the obvious – eating. Baby teeth also hold the space for adult teeth and when lost prematurely will almost always lead to crowding of adult teeth. Because some of your child’s baby teeth need to stay in until 12-13 years of age, it is very important to look after them properly.
We recommend that you start cleaning your child’s teeth as soon as they appear. It is all about getting your child used to the process. Under 2 years of age, you can simply just brush them with a wet, soft tooth brush. When your child turns two, you can start to use appropriate tooth paste. Because, when children are young they cannot spit properly, we advise you use very little age related toothpaste. We always have sample of toothpaste in our clinic and would be happy to recommend the best one for your child.
You should brush your child’s teeth for them until they are about 12 years of age. They can brush their teeth in the morning, but an adult should brush them in the evening, as we find they may not do a proper job themselves.
Proper diet is the second most important when looking after your child’s teeth properly. Juices, because they have natural sugars which cause tooth decay should be limited to meal time only. Otherwise, you should encourage your child to drink water. Sweets and sugary snacks should be given only on a special occasion. So lets make weekend that occasion when your child gets a sweet. When choosing a sweet, please pay attention to the “good” and “bad” sweets. Bad sweets are the ones which will be in contact with your child’s teeth for a long time, like lollipops. Ice cream or chocolate, are an example of a good sweet, because they do not stay in contact with your child’s teeth for a long time.
Special attention should be payed to hidden sugars. And remember, even if it is natural, like honey, it will still cause your child’s teeth to go bad.
Yes, baby teeth need to be filled if rotten. Unfortunately, by the time your child complains of a toothache, it is most certainly too late for a filling. So, please bring them in for a check up.
I was always impressed with Romana’s approach to dentistry with my children. Now that my oldest has also had orthodontic work, all I can say is that I am throuroughly impressed and delighted! He was always happy to go in, and he has a beautiful smile to prove it!
