Baby Teeth or Primary Teeth
Brushing, Flossing, Fluoride, Dental Visits for First Tooth Care
Mar 26, 2008
Healthy teeth are important to your child’s growth and development. Teeth help your child chew and speak. They also impact on jaw development. Baby teeth (primary teeth) hold space for permanent teeth which usually start coming in around age 6. Although baby teeth are temporary, they serve several functions as well having an impact on overall health and your child’s appearance.
First Tooth
Your baby will likely cut his first tooth between four and six months. Usually the two bottom teeth erupt followed by the top front teeth and then emerging in order from front around to the back molars. The primary teeth usually cut during the preschool years and the first molars around age 6, second molars at 12, and wisdom (or third molars) at 18. Girls tend to cut permanent teeth earlier than boys, but baby teeth emerge at about the same time regardless of gender.
Before your child cuts his first tooth, you will notice that he drools more frequently. He is also likely to put his fingers in his mouth and will bite on toys and other items. Some parents note that their babies tend to run fevers during the teething period; however, fever is not associated with teething according to pediatric dentists. If your child runs a fever, consider this a symptom unrelated to teething and contact your pediatrician if indicated.
Cleaning Baby Teeth
Once your child cuts his first tooth, use a damp washcloth or gauze to clean the tooth and gums twice per day, preferably following feedings. It is not necessary or recommended to use toothpaste at this stage.
Between one year and eighteen months, you can help your child brush his teeth with a soft toothbrush. Use toothpaste without fluoride initially, because your baby will swallow the toothpaste. You should also begin flossing if your child has two teeth that touch. Flossing removes plague which builds up in areas where a toothbrush will not reach.
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends introducing a fluoride toothpaste between ages 2 and 3. Use small amounts (size of a pea) and teach your child to rinse and spit out the extra toothpaste. Fluoride helps harden the enamel on your child’s teeth and reduces cavities; however, too much fluoride can cause permanent stains on teeth.
Fluoride
Most tap water is fluorinated. The ADA recommends using ready-to-feed formulas or mixing powdered formulas with non-fluorinated water such as purified, demineralized, deionized, distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water during the first twelve months.
Enamel Fluorosis
Stains caused by too much fluoride during the infant months are called enamel fluorosis. Enamel fluorosis is not a disease; however, your baby may have white lines or streaks on the enamel of his teeth if he is exposed to and ingests high levels of fluoride before age 2.
First Trip to the Dentist
About half of all children ages 2-4 visited a dentist during the past year as compared to over 80% for children ages 5-11. This is an improvement over the past, but it's still low.
Take your baby to a pediatric dentist within six months of the appearance of a first tooth or by the one year mark. Dental visits should be part of your child’s general “well baby” check ups and are particularly important with the number of preschool cavities on the rise.
The ADA notes that untreated dental cavities for preschool children has increased in recent years. Between 1988 and 1994, 24% of children ages 2 to 5 years had cavities compared with 28% between 1999 to 2004. This increase may be linked to many things but especially to children drinking lots of soft drinks.
Interesting Baby Tooth Fact
On very rare occasions a baby is born with a tooth. These are termed neonatal teeth. Teeth develop while your baby is in the womb, but they usually do not cut until after birth. A neonatal tooth is usually not a cause for concern, but it is a good idea to check with a dentist.
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