Baby Teeth
Babies’ teeth, though present at birth only begin to appear when they get to between 6 and 12 months of age; often starting with the bottom and top front teeth with the outermost upper teeth appearing last. By 3 years of age, most of them have all the 20 primary teeth. These teeth play an important role in the babies’ health and development. They not only perform the function of chewing but also occupy space in the jaws and hold them for the developing permanent teeth so that they can come out correctly. Premature loss of baby teeth can cause the permanent teeth to drift, leave little room for the adult teeth to occupy and result in crowded or crooked adult teeth.
Signs and remedies for teething
Some babies experience soreness in the gums when teeth first come out. Your baby may be cranky when this happens. To help relieve the soreness, you can rub the baby’s gums with a wet gauze pad, cool spoon, or clean finger or give him a teething ring. However, if the baby remains cranky or is in pain, you should contact a physician. The teething symptoms usually disappear once the teeth have come out. Once the baby teeth have come out, it is important to take care of the baby’s dental health.
When and how to care for baby teeth
Babies should be taken to the dentist as soon as their first teeth appear but no later than 1 year after birth. These initial visits are mainly wellness checkups to confirm that the baby’s teeth are developing properly as well as check the baby teeth for cavities and other problems. The visits also involve determining the best way to handle habits that affect the teeth such as thumb sucking. It is however not enough to simply take the baby to these checkup visits. It is important to take care of the baby’s teeth right from the beginning. This can be done right from home by ensuring that your baby’s dental hygiene is well maintained.
To keep your baby’s teeth clean, you should wipe them with a clean, moist wash cloth or gauze pad. You should start this as soon as the teeth appear because decay can easily occur at any time including soon after they appear. As more teeth appear and the child is able to spit out, you can start brushing them twice a day, using a tiny smear or rice grain sized fluoride toothpaste. As he grows older, you can let the child brush his teeth under supervision to ensure that the right amount of toothpaste and the right technique is used.
For children that are older, between 3 and 6 years of age, a pea-sized fluoride toothpaste amount should be used to brush the teeth twice daily. You should use a toothbrush designed for children. You should also try to floss daily if the child’s teeth touch. You should supervise or brush your children’s teeth until you are confident that they can brush their teeth on their own.