While your child will only have their baby teeth for a handful of years, developing good habits around caring for baby teeth can set your child up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Our team has rounded up five tips for ensuring that your kids’ pearly whites develop the right way.
1. Start Early
Most children get their first tooth around their first birthday. Incidentally, this is a great time for their first visit to the dentist. While your one-year-old may not have many teeth for our team to look at, these early visits help us ensure that everything is developing properly.
2. Know What to Expect
While all parents are concerned with the major milestones in their child’s development, our team at Dental Solutions of Columbus is especially concerned with the oral health milestones! Informing yourself about the different stages can help you feel prepared. For example, most children begin losing their baby teeth around the age of six.
3. Make Oral Hygiene a Habit
As your child ages, make sure that they practice a good oral hygiene routine at home. Children (and adults!) should brush their teeth twice daily for two minutes each time. While younger children will need close supervision, encourage your older kids to take responsibility for their own oral hygiene once you’re confident in their ability!
4. Teach Your Child
Whether it’s learning about how sugary sodas and candies can lead to cavities or how permanent teeth develop, a little knowledge can help your child gain a better understanding of their oral health.
5. Don’t Pull a Loose Tooth!
We constantly get questions from concerned parents wondering if they should pull a child’s loose tooth. The vast majority of the time, our answer is no — teeth will come out when they’re ready! Most kids can’t resist wiggling a loose tooth, which will eventually cause it to come out.
Questions? Just Ask Us!
Please contact our office to ask us any questions about caring for your child’s baby teeth or to schedule your next visit to our office. We look forward to hearing from you.