Baby teeth. Deciduous teeth. Milk teeth. Your child’s first set of teeth will, in most cases, fall out. But while they are not permanent, they are very important.
Baby teeth maintain space for their permanent counterparts. They are essential in function and phonetics and jaw development. So we need to take care of them.
The first step in insuring that your children have healthy mouths is to take them to visit a dentist.
When should you take your child to the dentist?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists suggests that a child visit the dentist by age 1, or when the first tooth erupts. Mainly, these first visits will be educational for the parent and will be helpful in introducing your son or daughter to the dental office. By age 2 or 3, the dental team will start taking a gentle look at your child’s teeth and possibly taking dental x-rays.
Good oral hygiene for your child will continue at home. Brushing the teeth and gums can begin BEFORE your son or daughter even get’s their first tooth. You can use a wet cloth to wipe the gums and then the teeth. If you want to use toothpaste, make sure that no fluoride is in the toothpaste until the child can spit.
Bacteria are always in the mouth, even when a person doesn’t have teeth (as in the case of an infant). We call these colonies of bacteria, biofilms. By wiping the gums, we can disrupt the biofilms and keep the gums clean. There is evidence that periodontal bugs can be linked to heart disease and other inflammatory diseases. When teeth erupt, we want them to be in a “clean” environment and by cleaning the gums we hopefully can do so. Finally, by wiping your child’s gums, you are hopefully getting them used to their teeth being cleaned.
As your children grow, they will become more proficient in brushing their own teeth, yet I still recommend that the parent check and even brush the teeth. Flossing can begin as soon as two teeth erupt.