The development of your baby’s teeth begins before he is even born. At birth he has a full set of 20 baby teeth (also known as primary teeth or milk teeth) hidden away in his gums.

The first teeth to appear in your baby’s mouth will most likely be the two bottom front teeth. They tend to make their appearance somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. These teeth are then followed by the 2 upper front teeth. The remainder of your baby’s teeth will then appear, usually in pairs, on each side of the jaw, until your child is about 2 ½ years old. By this age, all 20 baby teeth will most likely have appeared.

• Even though your baby’s will eventually lose all his milk teeth, they are just as important as the permanent teeth that follow. Not only do the milk teeth hold a space for the adult teeth, but they are also needed for speech, chewing and biting food.
• You need to teach your child to eat a healthy diet for the sake of his teeth and gums.
• Your child’s routine should include brushing his teeth twice a day, every day after the first tooth erupts.
• In areas where flouride is not added to the water or if you use bore or tank water, it is recommended that you use a smear of adult toothpaste to clean babies teeth from the time the first tooth appears. Encourage your child to spit the toothpaste out after brushing and not rinse the mouth. Talk to your GP, Dental Nurse or Dentist about also taking a fluoride supplement.
• For areas with fluoridated water (and where your child is drinking tap water, not filtered or bottled), gently clean the teeth with a small soft toothbrush and a tiny smear of the low-fluoride toothpaste specially formulated for small children.
• After your child turns 4 years old, you can begin to teach him how to brush his teeth, though it will be many years before you can hand the toothbrush over permanently.
• Your pre-schooler can receive free dental care at a school dental clinic. Ring your local school to find where the nearest clinic is.

REMEMBER!

Don’t worry if your child teethes early or late – there’s nothing you can do to hurry a tooth! Every tooth is on its own timeline and will eventually make its way through the gum. It follows too that a child got his baby teeth late will also lose them late.

This article was written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot. Sources include Raising Children Network