As a parent, it’s important to ensure your children’s teeth are maintained into adulthood by teaching them suitable oral hygiene habits from a young age
The dentists at Beenleigh MarketPlace Dental often get asked the question ‘what age should kids start going to the dentist’. The answer to this is two-pronged.
It’s recommended that children visit the dentist when their first tooth erupts, or when they reach the age of two. Baby teeth can erupt any time after six months, so as a parent, it’s up to you when to bring your baby in for their first dentist appointment.
Your child should, however, see a dentist before their seventh birthday. This time is critical because they still have the majority of their baby teeth. This ensures the dentists at Beenleigh MarketPlace Dental can assess their oral health and ensure they stay on the right track.
Teaching children oral hygiene
Teaching children how to care for their teeth properly, and from a young age, can help them ensure they carry out effective dental treatment into adulthood.
Children can start to brush their teeth as early as seven-years-old. However, they will still need assistance to ensure they are doing a good job. Flossing is also necessary, but parents should floss their child’s teeth until around the age of ten.
Children’s toothbrushes should be replaced every three to four months. Newer toothbrushes clean much more effectively and have less residual bacteria.
Ensure healthy development of adult teeth
Baby’s primary teeth, or baby teeth as they are commonly referred to, are already present in their jaws at birth. They typically begin to break through when a baby is between six months to a year old. Most children have their full set of 20 primary teeth by the time they turn three.
The baby teeth will lay the groundwork for adult teeth. When a child’s baby teeth are healthy, it’s much easier for their adult teeth to come through straight and healthy.
When the baby teeth are neglected, they can fall out prematurely and the remaining teeth can shift around the mouth. This can cause the permanent teeth to grow in crooked and out of place.
Maintaining the health of your baby’s teeth is crucial and can help prevent costly dental work in the future. If adult teeth grow in straighter due to healthy baby teeth, children could avoid orthodontic work once they reach adolescence.
Before the baby teeth erupt
There is a few things you can do for your child in infancy to give them a head start in their oral health journey. It’s a good idea to wipe your babies gums down with a damp cloth after feeding, before their teeth have come through. This will prevent any sugars or bacteria seeping right down through the gums and affecting the teeth.
Don’t put your baby to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice. The sugars will settle on their gums and could cause decay for the teeth that haven’t even come through yet.
When your baby’s first tooth erupts you can start to clean it with a tiny amount of toothpaste. Ask your dentist what the best type of toothpaste is, as their teeth and gums are quite delicate at this stage. Gently clean their tooth and gums and rinse out their mouth.
Children’s dental check-ups at Beenleigh MarketPlace Dental
Whether they still have their baby teeth or their permanent adult teeth have come through, the state of a child’s teeth throughout each stage of their development is one of the most important aspects of a child’s overall health.
By bringing your child in for a dental check up at Beenleigh MarketPlace Dental, we can help to ensure they have great oral health and hygiene habits into adulthood.
Keeping healthy teeth is indispensable for all ages, but a healthy start makes maintenance a lot easier in the long run.
For more information on children’s dental or to book your child in, contact Beenleigh MarketPlace Dental today.