As professionals in the dental field, we have to admit that we think there are few things quite as cute as a baby’s first teeth! There is something about those tiny, fresh, perfectly white teeth that is very exciting, even if they do have the potential to make their owner just a little bit cranky while they’re coming in. This month on our blog, we’d like to tell you a few fascinating facts about baby teeth, how they develop, and why it’s so important for you as a parent to make sure they get the oral hygiene care that they need.
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When Teeth are Born
Although we don’t see our babies’ teeth until they pop through the gums (or “erupt”) anywhere between six and twelve months after birth, all 20 of those little pearly whites are already formed when the baby is born. They are just hiding underneath those protective gums, waiting until the baby is closer to needing solid food before they erupt and start doing their jobs. As you can imagine, having teeth break through the gums is not a comfortable process, but you can help your little one by giving them cool, moist, or specially designed toys to chew on. It shouldn’t take long for the pain to subside, and your baby will be back to playing and laughing—only now with an adorable new smile!
Development Issues
Even though your baby’s original teeth will eventually be lost and make room for his or her permanent teeth, it is very important to care for them with good oral hygiene and other habits. One reason is that the healthier your baby’s teeth are, the less likely they will be to be lost prematurely. Because the baby teeth “set the course” for incoming permanent teeth, if they fall out early, the permanent teeth may be misaligned or crooked as soon as they come in, leading to long-term problems.
New parents often worry about whether thumb sucking and pacifiers will have a negative effect on the development of their children’s teeth. The most important consideration here is to make sure that those habits come to an end before the permanent teeth erupt and replace the baby teeth. During that critical process, a pacifier or thumb in the mouth can restrict the normal growth of the teeth and push them out of alignment. It’s hardly ever easy to break the pacifier habit, but it is essential to buckle down and get it done before those adult teeth are on their way in!
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Establishing Healthy Habits
We talk about this topic so much, but we feel it’s impossible to over-emphasize it. During their early years, your children are establishing habits that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Just as you work hard to help your kids get used to exercising, eating healthy foods, and developing a sense of curiosity about the world around them, you should also help them to make daily oral hygiene a deeply ingrained habit. They won’t keep their baby teeth forever, but the habits they practice with them will hopefully remain firmly established for the rest of their lives.
Modern dentistry offers many tools, incentives, toys, and ideas to help parents get their kids into brushing and flossing. When you bring your family in to visit a great dentist like Dr. Eric Ladimer here at New Hope Dental Care, be sure to ask what you can do to make oral hygiene fun.
One more important habit to establish with your kids is the idea of visiting the dentist regularly for cleanings and exams. In their early years, this will help to make sure their teeth and jaws are developing normally, and your dentist can make any minor adjustments along the way. Later in life, it will help them stay on top of any early developments of tooth decay and gum infection before they progress to the point of requiring serious measures.
Give your kids the best possible first experience with the dentist: bring them to our office and let Dr. Eric Ladimer and his friendly team perform their very first exam!