Overview-Tooth Development

 

Teeth vary in size, shape and location within the jaws.  These differences enable teeth to work together to help you chew, speak, and smile.  They also help give your face its shape and form.

 

At birth, people usually have 20 primary (baby) teeth, which often erupt as early as four or five months of age.  Most babies show teeth between six and eight months.  They are then shed at various times throughout childhood.  By age 21, all 32 of the permanent teeth have usually erupted.

 

Why Is It Important To Care For Baby Teeth?

 

While it’s true that baby teeth are only in the mouth a short period of time, they play a vital role in the following ways:

-They reserve a space for their permanent counterparts.

-They give the face its normal appearance.

-They aid in the development of clear speech.

-They help attain good nutrition (missing or decayed teeth make it difficult to chew, causing children to reject foods.)

-They help give a healthy start to the permanent teeth (decay and infection in baby teeth can cause dark spots on the permanent teeth developing beneath it).

 

Taking Care of Your Baby’s Teeth and Gums

 

It’s never to early to start taking care of your baby’s future teeth.  Here are some cimple things you can do for him/her:

-Never put your baby to sleep with a bottle.

-Once a day, gently wipe his/her gums with a wet, clean soft cloth.  Start doing this even before his/her teeth come in.

-When his/her teeth begin to show, you may use a soft toothbrush for cleaning.  Make sure it is baby-sized, or you can continue with the cloth

-Gently brush his/her teeth with water only.  Toothpaste is not needed until your baby is around three years old, when he/she should be old enough to spit out the toothpaste after brushing.

-If your child needs a comforter between regular feedings, at night, or during naps, give the child a clean pacifier.  Never give your child a pacifier dipped in any sweet liquid.

-Avoid filling your child’s bottle with liquids such as sugar water and soft drinks.

-If your local water supply does not contain fluoride (which helps prevent tooth decay), ask your dentist how your child should get it. 

 

Your Child’s First Fisit to the Dentist

 

Begin bringing your child in for a check-up as early as age three.  They can become acquainted with their dentist and develop a trusting relationship.

 

Overview of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

 

As soon as a baby’s first teeth appear, the child is susceptible to decay.  This condition is often referred to as “Baby Bottle Tooth Decay.”  In some unfortunate cases, infants and toddlers have experienced severe tooth decay that has resulted in dental restorations or extractions.  The good news is that decay is preventable.  Decay occurs when sweetened liquids are given and are left clinging to an infant’s teeth for long periods.  Many liquids cause problems including milk, formula, and fruit juice.  Bacteria in the mouth use these sugars as food.  They then produce acids that attack the teeth.  Each time your child drinks these liquids, acids attack for 20 minutes or longer.  After many attacks, the teeth decay.  It’s not just what you put in the child’s bottle that causes decay, but also the frequency and duration of exposures.

 

How Can Baby Bottle Tooth Decay be Prevented?

 

Giving your child a bottle of sweetened liquid more than once or twice a day isn’t a good idea.  Allowing your child to fall asleep with a bottle during naps or at night can also harm the child’s teeth.  You can prevent decay from occurring by following the tips listed under the section titled “Taking care of your baby’s teeth and gums.” 

***It is important to remember the same thing applies once your child is weaned from the bottle to a sippy cup.  It is a good idea for your child to remain stationary while drinking from the cup instead of grazing.  Grazing increases exposure to the sugary liquid.  It also increases the risk of tooth/mouth damage should the child fall.

 

What To Do In Case of an Emergency

 

As a parent, seeing a child lose a tooth in an accident can be gut-wrenching.  Such injuries are often bloody and can be anxiety provoking for the child as well.  Knowing how to prevent dental injury and what to do in case an accident occurs can save your child’s teeth.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent to prevent these precious baby teeth is to make sure that you are prepared before an accident occurs.  Make sure that your dentist has after hours coverage, meaning that he/she or a partner is available to take care of dental emergencies.  Keep your dentist’s emergency readily available.

 

The most common dental emergencies include (1) teeth that have been knocked out due to trauma and (2) teeth that have been chipped as a result of an accident.  In either case, it is important to know what to do.

Time is the enemy when a tooth is knocked out.  If a dentist is seen within one hour after an accident, chances are good that the tooth can be re-implanted and saved.  Remember to carefully rinse the tooth off and place it in a cup of saliva or milk.  Make sure that you do not touch the root of the tooth with your hands.  The root is the portion of the tooth embedded in the gums and not normally seen.  See a dentist immediately.

 

With chipped teeth, the situation is slightly more complicated.  If you child is experiencing pain or sensitivity in the affected tooth, see a dentist immediately as this indicates the tooth nerve may be injured.  The dentist can perform a root canal or other necessary procedure to save the tooth.  Afterwards, a porcelain crown or bonding material can be sculpted on the tooth to replace the lost portion.

 

If no pain or sensitivity is experienced the situation is not critical.  You should call your dentist, but in most cases, you can simply schedule a future appointment to replace the lost portion of the tooth.

 

Preventing Dental Emergencies

 

The best way to prevent a dental emergency is to properly protect your child.  Dentists are recommending that children engaged in sports ear mouth guards.  Once only used in football and ice hockey, mouth guards are no being recommended for other sports as well including rollerblading, basketball, and soccer.  Most mouth guards are made of plastic and cover the upper teeth.  Not only do mouth guards protect teeth, but they also protect lips, gums, and cheeks.

 

Source A.D.A.