So often you’ll hear parents refer to their baby’s new teeth as just “practice teeth,” so there’s no real reason to be concerned about dental problems at an early age. After all, the teeth will just fall out and be replaced, right? While this is true, think of this logic in another way. Your fingernails and toenails will grow back if one of them falls out, but does that mean you won’t take care of them because they’ll just be replaced? Of course not.
Taking care of baby teeth is just as important as taking care of the permanent adult teeth for numerous reasons. For starters, it helps deal with bad breath. Even if your six-month-old is still breastfeeding, he or she will develop bad breath as the budding teeth ensnare the milk between them and the gums. However, bad breath is really the least of the child’s problems.
Like adults, improper dental care with children can cause not only tooth decay but gum disease as well. If gum disease develops, then there are the risks of losing baby teeth early, the permanent teeth not growing correctly, and the expensive specialized, pediatric dental bills that will tag along.
Plus, without a rigorous dental routine in the early stages, it will be harder for children to adapt to regularly take care of their teeth when they get older. Then when the permanent teeth make their grand entrances, well, they will grow into a child who has never properly learned good dental hygiene, which of course will lead to even more dental problems (and hefty bills).
As soon as your child starts the teething process, put them on a regular dental routine of brushing twice a day. Make sure you use toothpaste that is fluoride-free and safe to swallow. When your child develops all 20 of his or her baby teeth, talk to your family dentist about when would be best to start the twice-a-year checkups. If you need a family dentist, please contact our office so we can talk to you and your child about his or her dental health.