Babies start to develop teeth before they are born. The first teeth (also known as milk teeth or deciduous teeth) normally start to break through the gum from at around six to nine months old. Most children will have around eight teeth by their first birthday, although this is just an average. The complete set of twenty milk teeth is usually through by 2 and a half years.

Healthy teeth are important to your child’s overall health. From the time your child is born, there are things you can do to promote healthy teeth. For babies, you should clean teeth with a soft, clean cloth or baby’s toothbrush. Avoid putting the baby to bed with a bottle and check teeth regularly for spots or stains.

For all children, you should

* Brush teeth with a fluoride toothpaste

* Provide healthy foods and limit sweet snacks and drinks Teeth are some of your children’s most important possessions. How you look after their teeth from the time they are babies will make a difference to how they grow and how healthy they are. This means not only how you clean them but also how you protect tham from things that can harm teeth. Tooth decay is preventable.

Teeth Problem

Cavities are holes that are formed in the teeth when bacteria (germs) in your mouth use the sugar in food to make acid. This acid eats away at the teeth. Good oral hygiene care can keep cavities from happening in your child.

Treatment Of Cavities

One has to differentiate between treatment of cavities and treatment of the disease process resulting in cavities. The normal treatment of a tooth with a cavity is a filling or, if the cavity is large, a crown. A variety of materials are used globally: composites, amalgam, gold, porcelain, and others. Moreover, a filling does not affect the disease process causing the cavities. Treatment must be directed against the causative factors (described earlier). For the individual case, several options are available in addition to the various fluoride programs mentioned: dietary counseling, sugar substitutes, antimicrobial agents to reduce plaque and specific bacteria, and the use of saliva-stimulating products.

Tips For Children Dental Care

* Schedule your child’s first trip to the dentist by the time he or she is one year old.

* Use a child size toothbrush with soft bristles. Replace the toothbrush every three months

* Select a fluoride toothpaste and use a pea-sized amount on the toothbrush after every meal and before bed. If the child swallows the toothpaste this small amount should not hurt him

* Once all primary teeth are in, begin flossing your child’s teeth. When the child is ready, teach him or her to floss before brushing.

* Children under the age of three can use a smear of family toothpaste containing at least 1,000ppm (parts per million) fluoride. Any less and it won’t be as effective at preventing decay. Children aged from three to six should use a pea-sized blob of toothpaste containing 1,350-1,500ppm fluoride. Make sure your child doesn’t eat or lick the toothpaste from the tube.

* Take your child to the dentist when they’re as young as possible, and be sure to have taken them at least once by the time they’re two. This is so they become familiar with the environment and get to know the dentist.