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Know Your Child’s Teeth

What are milk teeth?

Milk teeth, which are also known as baby teeth, primary or deciduous teeth, are the first set of teeth to erupt in a human being. They are 20 in number 10 in upper jaw and 10 in lower jaw.

When do milk teeth start erupting?

The first milk tooth erupts at the age of 6 months to one year. The lower front milk tooth erupts first. A baby tooth usually remains in the child’s mouth until a permanent tooth underneath it is ready to emerge through the gums. The roots of the baby tooth dissolve and the tooth becomes
loose and falls out. The permanent tooth "comes up” a few weeks later.

What is the importance of primary or milk teeth?

Primary teeth are important to the future dental health of your child for the following reasons

•  Enable proper chewing
•  Allow good pronunciation and speech habits
•  Encourage normal development of jaw bones and muscles
• Ensure there is enough room for permanent teeth to erupt
•  Help your child feel comfortable about the way he/she looks
• Guide the permanent teeth to erupt at the correct position in the dental arch.

What is the importance of dental treatment for milk teeth?

The milk teeth need the same amount of dental care and treatment as the permanent teeth, in fact they need more dental attention as any infection or injury to the milk teeth affects the developing permanent teeth directly or indirectly. So prompt and immediate treatment should be given to all the primary teeth, which are decayed or are injured due to fall or trauma.

When is it the right time to start brushing the child’s teeth?

As soon as the first primary tooth erupts the parent should start brushing the child’s teeth. Before teeth erupt the parent should clean the child’s mouth, gums with cotton dipped in Water. Initially the parents should use the fingers for cleaning the child’s teeth. At the age of about one-year parents can start brushing the child’s teeth and later supervise and guide the child’s brushing.

How to avoid cavities in children?

Apart from brushing twice, one must avoid excessively sweet and sticky food items. You can contact your dentist who will help seal deep pits and fissure (ups and downs) in your child’s teeth by a very simple and comfortable procedure thereby preventingfood from getting stuck, giving a  very effective protection from cavities. In fact this procedure is carried out even for adults.

Is thumb sucking normal and what is the cause of
this habit?

Thumb sucking is considered normal only till a certain age of about 3 to 4 years. If thumb sucking persists after this age it is of both social and dental concern. If it persists beyond
this age then there are many reasons like depression,feeling of insecurity or lack of attention from parents.

Can a parent help the child get rid of this habit?

Yes, to a certain extent. The parent must be able to identify the underlying cause and correct it. There are other methods like putting some bitter substance on the thumb, removing the thumb from the mouth and replacing it with a chewable substance, in case of elder children use of visual aids will be helpful. There are special corrective appliances which can be used to break any form of oral habit.

Does bottle-feeding the child in the night affect the teeth?

Yes, especially sweetened milk given to the child at night or pacifiers dipped in honey lead to a condition called "Nursing bottle caries” or "Baby bottle syndrome”, where all the teeth except the lower front teeth are affected by caries which could be very fast spreading and destructive if not detected earlier and if prompt treatment is not given. The habit should be stopped.

Should a child also visit the dentist regularly even if he/she has no dental problem?

Yes, it is mandatory to visit the dentist regularly at least once in 6 months, as it is not just decay or injury that needs dental treatment, but if there is any developing malocclusion, It can be detected by the dentist and can be intercepted and corrected early.Take good care of your child’s milk teeth and lay the foundation for a healthy, functional dentition and perfect smile

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