Children Will Love Our Birmingham Pediatric Dental Care
Children and infants are not immune to dental problems. Tooth decay and cavities are some of the most common childhood ailments. They are five times as common as that of asthma and seven times more common than that of hay fever. Tooth decay is listed as the most chronic disease among children ages five to 17. The types of oral health problems that affect infants are just as serious.
The foods and drinks your children consume affects their teeth. Sugars and starches are attributed to tooth decay. When you add to the fact that it is a lot more difficult to clean childrens and babies teeth, its easy to see why a lot of debris will remain on the childs teeth. Bacteria will grow and flourish resulting in tooth decay.
Even though baby teeth will eventually be replaced with adult teeth, it is important that you have healthy baby teeth to fuel the childs overall development and health. Depending on the baby, some are born with neonatal teeth requiring dental hygiene or a visit to the dentist to remove them. Typically, babies have their first tooth erupt at six months of age, which requires cleaning to make sure it is healthy.
From the age of six months to 24 months, children will begin the teething process indicated by biting on things, irritability, ear pulling and drooling. You can help the childs teething progress using strategies such as offering them a cold teething ring, wet washcloth or massing their gums. Make sure to ask the dentist about any teething ointments before placing them into the childs mouth.
By the time the child is three years of age, most of the baby teeth will have made their way through the surface. After the age of four, spaces begin appearing for the permanent teeth to appear because the jaw and supporting structure begins to grow and expand. From the age of six to 12, your child will often have both baby teeth and their permanent teeth inside of their mouth. Regular checkups and monitoring of their dental development is important to creating healthy teeth and gums late on down the line.