Baby Teeth Need Some Babying

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For new parents, their baby and his or her new teeth are a grey area. When do you start brushing? How attentive do you need to be? Do baby teeth even matter?

Yes, it’s not like an immunization schedule or similar developmental benchmark, but it’s your job to get your child started on a regimen of good oral hygiene. The kind of home hygiene you start now will dictate what kind of home hygiene your child will probably follow the rest of his or her life.

It all starts with the baby teeth, so here’s some information on these from the team at Implant Dentistry of Florida.

What Is Primary Dentition?

This sounds like some sort of old-school handwriting drill or worse. It actually means the arrival of the 20 baby teeth. Called for some live oak sort of reason, deciduous teeth, these will include four incisors, two canines, and four molars on each jaw. These begin erupting through the gums around the age of six months. One or two teeth will break through the gums each month.

When?

The first teeth to come in are the bottom central incisors, followed by the four front teeth on the upper jaw. The rest of the teeth descend in pairs, usually one on each side. Your child should have around 10 teeth on top and bottom somewhere between 2 and 3 years old. These teeth will last until around 6 or 7 when they will start to shed, calling for many Tooth Fairy visits. Those deciduous teeth will be mostly gone by the age of 13, replaced by permanent teeth.

Fun Baby Teeth Facts

Here are some facts about baby teeth you probably didn’t know:

  • Teeth in the lower jaw erupt before those in the upper jaw.
  • Girls get their teeth earlier than boys.
  • Children who are shorter in height may have delayed tooth eruption.
  • If you live in a warmer climate (like Florida), your kid’s teeth will come in earlier than your brother’s kids in Minnesota.
  • People living in urban areas get teeth faster than rural kids.
  • Birth rank can make older kids get their teeth earlier than their youngest brother or sister.

A Couple Tips Before Your Child’s Teeth Erupt

  1. Clean your baby’s gums and the erupting teeth by rubbing a clean, damp washcloth along the baby’s upper and lower gums.
  1. When the teeth come in, start brushing your baby’s teeth at least two to three times a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and water.

Schedule a Consultation

We’ve been taking care of generations of Melbourne teeth for over 30 years at Implant Dentistry of Florida. When it’s time to see your new addition, call us at (321) 372-7700 and make your appointment.

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