My child’s first visit to the Pediatric dentist ?
The Ideal time to visit a Paediatric dentist is as early as the first tooth erupts or by the 1st Birthday whichever is earlier. According to our Paediatric Dentist, only 1% of parents in India follow this ideal protocol.
The purpose of this first visit is to educate parents about good oral hygiene habits for prevention of dental diseases in their children. On your first visit we will provide a customized preventative care chart for children till they reach their adolescence.
It is rightly said that ‘Prevention is better than cure’.
Why are baby teeth so important?
Milk teeth are important because they help in maintaining overall health of the body.
Healthy primary (milk) teeth will allow normal development of jaw bones and muscles saves space for permanent teeth and guide them into normal position during eruption. If the baby teeth are lost too soon, than the permanent teeth may come-in crooked not in its proper position. Decayed baby teeth can cause pain, abscess, infection and can spread to permanent teeth.
When will my child’s teeth begin to grow in?
Your child’s milk teeth begin to erupt between 6 – 10 months of age. All milk teeth complete their eruption by the age of 2 to 2.5 years. From the age of 2.5 to 6 years there will be only milk teeth in your child’s mouth, after which the Permanent teeth begin to erupt.
What is teething?
Teething literally means the process of first milk teeth emerging through gums. Usually people associate teething with fever, diarrhoea and increased child irritation. That is actually because the eruption of the first milk tooth coincides with 2 things:
- Losing of maternal (mother’s milk) antibody protection.
- Increase in tendency of an infant putting toys and fingers in mouth due to on-going oral phase.
Both the above mentioned factors may increase the chances of infection in your child. Please make sure that your child is well hydrated and nourished.
How can I clean my little one’s teeth?
At this age use of washcloth/gauze is recommended to clean the gums, tongue and palate. As soon as few teeth erupt, you need to shift on to finger brush or soft bristles tooth brush without toothpaste.
Bottle use or nursing at bedtime?
Putting your baby to sleep with a bottle of milk or nursing a baby to sleep is harmful to teeth if cleaning of teeth is not done. Teeth are coated with the sugar inbuilt in milk which provides a perfect environment for cavity formation/ tooth decay.
To prevent cavity formation, we strongly recommend you to clean your baby’s teeth after the night feed with a wash cloth, gauze or a finger brush. In case of frequent feeding at night, we recommend you to make your child drink water after each feeding in a nipple bottle or wipe their teeth with wash cloth/gauze.
Thumb sucking or pacifier use?
Thumb or finger sucking is normal reflex in infants and is present even before birth. It helps infants’ self soothe, so don’t interrupt them at this age. If done so, at later ages they can have some Psychological issues. If the habit persists till the age of 4 – 5 you should consult us, as prolonged thumb sucking after the age of 6, results in changes in facial bones and flared upper teeth.
Use of Pacifier with honey or with any other sugary liquid is not recommended at all.
Dental emergencies
Usually by age of 10-15 months your child is learning to stand and walk. Therefore, they are more susceptible to have trauma onto their face or teeth. To prevent this, you need to child proof your house.
For any dental emergency such as chipped or knocked out tooth or bleeding gums or lip, please contact us at earliest on our emergency numbers 9920577140 or 9167012020.