Day2DayCare
Teeth care for kids is just as important as caring for the rest of their body. Your baby cuts her first tooth before she is a year old and this is often between six to eight months of age.
The last tooth will usually have erupted by the time she is three years old. These first set of teeth are called baby teeth or primary teeth.The age at which different teeth appear is given in the following table:
| Tooth | Age (Months) |
|---|---|
| Incisors | 6 to 12 |
| First Molars | 12 to 18 |
| Canines | 18 to 24 |
| Second Molars | 24 to 30 |
Aquafresh has some interesting information on understanding your child's baby teeth in his mouth and how they grow along with him.
The child may face some problems such as swollen gums with mild discomfort, salivation, loss of appetite, fever and mild diarrhoea during the teething process. However, not all the problems occur during the teething process. Once all the molars have erupted, these problems subside.
Why Teeth Care for Kids is Important?
To understand why teeth care for kids is essential, you must understand the functions of the primary teeth or baby teeth. The primary teeth help to:
- Chew and digest foods that are essential for the child's nutrition.
- Make space for the permanent teeth to erupt in the right position.
- Help the child to learn to speak correctly and clearly.
- Assist the child in her social development. Well maintained teeth helps the child smile confidently.
Ensuring Teeth Care for Kids
Proper teeth care for kids results in good oral hygiene and can avoid many problems such as plaque, gingivitis and many others. There are some simple methods you can adopt to ensure this teeth care.
Brushing
Although brushing begins only after the baby tooth has erupted, you should start cleaning her gums, cheek and lips as soon as she begins feeding. You must use a soft wet cloth to do this. This early cleaning helps him get used to his mouth being cleaned and he may not object to a tooth brush in the later stages. Remember to continue this even after you start brushing his teeth. This will help him understand the importance of cleaning his gums and teeth when he starts brushing by himself. A good position involves placing the child with his back near you. If your baby refuses to open your mouth for you to insert the tooth brush, try opening yours wide. The baby will enjoy imitating you and open his mouth.
Video on Cleaning Baby's Gums
To get your child introduced to brushing, it is a good idea to use a baby tooth brush and fruit flavoured toothpaste. It is best to avoid fluoride based toothpaste until the baby is three years old so that there is no problem if he accidentally swallows the toothpaste. You can switch over to fluoride based tooth paste when he learns to spit the toothpaste. Opt for small tooth brushes with soft bristles. Remember to replace the tooth brush at least once in three months. While it is a good idea to brush his teeth after every meal, it is not always practical. So, you must get into a routine that involves brushing his teeth at least twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening after meals. It is important that the baby has a clean mouth before bedtime. Since baby teeth and gums are soft and delicate, you need not brush them too hard. As tongue cleaners can be too hard on your baby's delicate tongue, you must use the tooth brush to “brush” his tongue as well. This is because the baby's tongue can also contain germs. Once all the primary teeth have developed, you must brush them for a minimum of ten minutes every time.
Once you have established a brushing routine, you can allow your child to brush by himself when he is one or two years old. Offer him a tooth brush with a thick handle as he will find this easier to hold, But remember to entrust him with this only under your supervision. This supervision must continue till the child is eight years old.
Aquafresh has an interesting chart that helps you to keep track of brushing your child's teeth.
Video on Tooth Brushing for Children
Dietary Regulation
Diet plays a major role in ensuring good teeth for your child. You must encourage him to eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables along with dairy products. While raw fruits and vegetables help to retain the saliva that is necessary to clean the baby teeth, calcium in the dairy products is needed to keep them healthy. Also, ensure the intake of vitamins and minerals through food sources such as fish. Restrict the intake of sweet, sticky and acidic foods as they can cause tooth decay and tooth erosion. Also, do not give your child snacks in between meal times. When introducing sold food for your baby, do not add sugar or salt to his food. He does not need these till he has completed a year.
For children who have completed one year old, do not offer the feeding bottle at night. If your toddler refuses to go to bed without a bottle of milk, make sure that you brush his teeth first thing in the morning. These children should be allowed to drink only from the sippy cup. But they must not be allowed to carry a sippy cup or feeding bottle with them everywhere they go. Keep them under your control. A cup is a better option to a sippy cup. Allow your child to drink his fruit juices rich in sugar only during meal times. Make the juices as dilute as possible. If you are putting your infant to bed at night with a feeding bottle, ensure that it contains only water. Never give your child a pacifier dipped in honey.
Flossing
Flossing is as important as brushing and dietary regulation. You must get your child started on flossing as soon as the baby teeth have erupted and contact points have established between them. Flossing your child's teeth provides many benefits such as reduced chances of gum disease, better breath, removes plaque and polishes tooth surfaces.
Flossing is the only way to clean in between the baby teeth and can also bring relief from tooth decay or holes in the teeth. You must floss your child's teeth at least once a day. Floss can reach to those parts of the teeth where the bristles of the brush cannot. Flossing also arrests the bleeding in your child's gums. Consider talking with your child about the right time and approach to floss your child's teeth. After he completes a year, you can allow him to floss by himself under your supervision.
Teeth Care Check List for Infants and Toddlers
Birth to 6 Months
- Always clean your baby's gums after each meal. Also, make sure that you do not forget to do this before you put him to bed at night.
- If you are giving him food other than breastmilk, remember to ensure that they do not contain sugar or salt. This may not be a problem for mothers who feed their children only breast milk.
- Talk to the child's dentist about any fluoride-free alternatives to care for his teeth that will appear shortly.
6 to 12 Months
- Schedule your child's first official visit to his dentist for an examination as soon as the first tooth appears.
- Brush his teeth with baby tooth paste that comes in fruit flavours at least twice a day after meal times and before he goes to bed.
- As the child would most probably have started moving around, watch out for any accidental dental injury.
- Start weaning your child from his bottle and sippy cup. Make sure that you are successful with this for at least the night time feeds. It is a good idea to get him off these by his first birthday and make him comfortable with an ordinary cup.
12 to 24 Months
- Brush the child's teeth at least twice a day after meal times and before he goes to bed.
- Follow up with visits to the pediatric dentist for routine examinations and cleaning.
What Parents Must Watch Out For
- Holes in the tooth irrespective of the size. This can be on the biting surface or between the teeth.
- A crack on the front teeth due to an injury as the child moves around.
- Colour change in the tooth because of tooth decay, erosion or an accident. The darker the tooth, the lesser are the chances of it being alive.
- A soft tooth that is usually brown in colour. This occurs because of developmental problems.
- The child's refusal to brush a specific area. This is mainly because the tooth has become sensitive due to tooth decay or ulcers.
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