A BABY’S FIRST TOOTH is a major milestone, and a child losing their first tooth is another! As parents, it’s important for us to know what to expect when it comes to our children’s baby teeth, from when they come in to when they lose them, and how to take good care of them in between. That’s why we’re dedicating a blog post to baby teeth!
The Purpose Of Baby Teeth
Just because baby teeth don’t last our whole lives, that doesn’t mean they don’t serve an important purpose or that we can slack off taking care of them. Baby teeth help children chew, speak, and flash those beautiful smiles. Most importantly, they hold the places of permanent teeth so that they can come in where they’re supposed to once there’s room for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5qNQj2QdKY
Keeping Baby Teeth Healthy
When your child has baby teeth, it’s the perfect time to teach them good life-long dental health habits. This way, by the time those adult teeth start coming in, they’ll already be pros at brushing and flossing so that they’ll be able to keep their permanent teeth healthy for life!
Before your children are old enough to start taking care of their teeth by themselves, there’s plenty you can do for them. Even before the first teeth appear, it’s important to gently clean away any residue from breast milk or formula so that the sugars in the milk can’t linger and feed oral bacteria.
Baby Teeth Timeline
Most children follow a similar timeline in getting their baby teeth, but not every situation is the same, so don’t get worried if your child doesn’t fit perfectly into these windows. The first two teeth (the bottom central incisors) typically show up between 4-7 months, followed by the top central incisors at around 8-12 months. The lateral incisors come in between 9-16 months, and the first molars make their appearance any time between 13-24 months, followed by the canines and, finally, the second molars.
The full set of baby teeth will usually have grown in by age three. Around age six is when those baby teeth begin to be replaced by adult teeth, in about the same order they first came in. From ages six through twelve, a child will lose teeth and grow their new ones pretty rapidly.
We Have The Answers
Besides knowing the basics about what baby teeth are for and when they’ll come in and fall out, it’s also important to know when to start bringing your child in to the dentist. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentist recommends bringing your child to the dentist 6 months after the first tooth erupts or by age 1 to establish a dental home. We can’t wait to see you and your child and help you get them on a path to lifelong healthy teeth!
Keep taking care of those teeth, whether baby or permanent!
Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. |