Kids’ oral health is just as significant as their overall health. The first significant step towards taking care of your child’s oral health is to understand that your tot’s teeth (including the baby teeth) call for optimal care.
There is still a lot of gap in understanding the fact that the dental care for the little one’s teeth should start as soon as the first tooth appears. The parents need to ensure that care is taken in the proper way so that their kids get healthy mouth.
The first primary or deciduous teeth appear around 4-6 months for most kids. From that time onwards, the dental hygiene and regular visits to the clinic of the dentists is essential for your kids’ oral health.
Teeth Development of the Child
The kids get teeth at various times. While the first teeth usually appear between 4-6 months, they can sometimes take up to 10 months to appear. There are also many cases when the baby teeth do not appear until 12 months.
The baby teeth can arrive in any order although usually the central lower teeth appear faster. All the 20 baby teeth usually appear by the time your kid turns 3 years old.
The 32 adult teeth replace the baby teeth between 6-20 years. The adult teeth don’t get replaced and so you need to take care of them just like the baby teeth.
Why Healthy Baby Teeth are Significant?
It is vital to keep the baby teeth healthy and clean because –
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- They help to form the shape of kid’s face
- They hold spaces open for the permanent teeth to come in
- They make chewing and eating easier
How to Care for Your Toddlers’ Oral Health
There are some problems that your child can face while growing up. Here some of the major problems and how you can deal with them. Take a look.
- Baby Bottle Tooth Decay – This mainly occurs in the upper front teeth but the other chompers can also be affected. The frequent and prolonged exposure of the baby ‘s teeth to the drinks containing sugar can lead to the tooth decay. This happens when the baby is put to bed with a pacifier or a bottle. In order to prevent baby bottle tooth decay, do the following –
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- Avoid the long or frequent feedings
- Avoid bedtime and nap-time feedings
- Don’t let your baby feed on a bottle when put to bed
- Wipe the teeth of the child after feeding
- Feed your baby a little amount of water at the end of the feeding
- By 12 months of age you should make the baby switch from breast or bottle to a cup
- Use the bottle at the feeding time and not as the pacifier
- Teething – Teething can be a ritual of passage for the parents and the babies alike. As the teeth come in, some babies can become fussy, irritable and sleepless and drool more than usual. To help the baby you can do the following–
- Gently rub the gums of the baby with clean finger
- At times, it is helpful to give the baby a cold, clean object to chew on
- You can give the ring that you have kept in the refrigerator or a teething biscuit that is non-sweetened
Rashes, diarrhoea and fever are not caused by teething. So if your baby suffers from diarrhoea or fever while teething and continues being cranky you should talk with the doctor.
- Tooth Decay– Tooth decay is caused by bacteria present in the plaque that forms on the teeth. When the kid takes medicine or eats food that contains sugar, the bacteria produce acids. These acids destroy the teeth. For preventing the decaying of the teeth, you can do the following –
- After each feeding, you should clean the teeth of the baby with a soft cloth or gauze. You may use a tooth brush once the child is older
- You should try and brush your toddler’s teeth at least till 7-8 years of age as she cannot brush every tooth surface and won’t be able to brush the teeth well
- When you start using the toothpaste for cleaning the teeth of the child you should be sure that it contains fluoride, but use the paste only in a small pea-sized amount
- Avoid the sugary drinks and foods like soda pop and juice. Only as desserts, the sweets should be offered
Apart from the above you should also see to it that you take your toddler to dental clinic as soon as the first tooth appears. Apart from that, for a check-up and dental treatment in Delhi you should take your child to see the dentist at least twice a year. All these will ensure that your little tot develops great oral hygiene and can flaunt a heart-warming smile without any trouble for years to come.