Primary teeth, or baby teeth, are one of the major factors in determining your child’s ability to chew their food correctly; the correct development of their facial features; the need for braces; and their ability to communicate effectively. Therefore, it is vital for parents to ensure their child’s dental health.
Most of your child’s teeth may have emerged through the gums, and possibly some of their permanent teeth have grown in already. These primary teeth and new permanent teeth are susceptible to tooth decay if they are neglected. Dental treatment for tooth decay in young children is difficult. Therefore, most remedies to remove and prevent the spread of decay is to extract the infected tooth. Therefore, if a child’s dental care is neglected, the primary teeth may need to be extracted before the permanent teeth have grown in. Without the primary tooth to act as a guide for the new permanent tooth that is growing in, your child is more likely to have misaligned teeth.
This is a danger up until your children are early teenagers. The primary molars at the back of the mouth are usually the last of the primary teeth to fall out. Permanent molars may only come in at the age of 12.
How to Brush Your Child’s Teeth between the Ages of 2 and 7
Past the age of 2, your child is old enough to start to use children’s toothpaste. You should start with the amount of a grain of rice on their toothbrush. After the age of 3, you can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. It is important to establish a routine, not only by brushing their teeth at certain times each day, but also how long you brush their teeth for (2 minutes). It is usually around 6 years old when your child should be able to brush their teeth by themselves.
However, children develop at different speeds. Your child can brush their own teeth only when they can rinse and spit properly. After they are able to brush their own teeth, it is still a good idea to supervise your child. Teaching them to brush all the sides of their teeth (back, front and top) twice a day for two minutes, will ensure they clean their teeth efficiently.
After you and your child are confident in their ability to brush their own teeth, dentist appointments are important to determine if their dental routine is enough. At 3rd South Dental, we understand the importance of your young child’s teeth, and will make sure your child is excited to come to the dentist for regular check-ups.