Child Dentistry
We accept children of all ages into our practice, including those currently undergoing orthodontic treatments.
When does my baby begin dental appointments?
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry http://aapd.orgsuggests establishing a “Dental Home” for your child by their first birthday. We suggest bringing your baby to your or other children’s cleaning appointment, so that the child observes the parent or sibling’s behavior. As your child ages, we begin the process slowly…perhaps starting with a quick peek after the parent or sibling’s examination. At the next visit, the child may allow a longer look while sitting on the parent or older sibling’s lap. At each subsequent visit, we progress further, until finally achieving a standard cleaning, checkup and x-rays visit.
This concept allows the child to become acclimated to accepting preventative dental care as routine behavior, and also lessens the apprehension in the event of dental trauma.
Baby Teeth
The first teeth to come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. You will notice this when your baby is about 6-8 months old. Next to follow will be the 4 upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby’s teeth will appear periodically. They will usually appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about 2 1/2 years old.
At around 2 1/2 years old your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of 5 and 6 the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don’t. Don’t worry if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different.
Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth but they are important to chewing, biting, speech and appearance. For this reason it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.