Children’s Dental Care

A child’s first teeth usually develop between six months and one year after they are born. The first teeth to appear are usually the two middle ones (both top and bottom). During this time your babies gum’s will probably be red and swollen, as they are teething. Your child’s first dental visit should be between the eruption of the first tooth and their first birthday.

By the age of about three your child should have a full set of 20 baby teeth. It is very important to look after these teeth well for two reasons:

  1. The baby teeth hold the places for the permanent teeth, so if a baby tooth is lost the permanent replacement could come in crooked.
  2. If you do not motivate your child to keep clean teeth while they are young, they may continue bad habits as they grow older.

Your child’s baby teeth should start to fall out at around the age of 6, and will be replaced up until the age of 12 or 13. By the age of 16 they should have a complete set of 32 permanent teeth. Children’s teeth are very hard to maintain because children tend to eat more sugary food, have varying sizes of teeth and are not as good as adults at brushing their teeth.

Brushing your child’s teeth

By the age of three or four your child should be able to brush his or her teeth on their own, but will probably require supervision until the age of eight. Follow these general guidelines for introducing your child to brushing on their own.

  • Brush your child’s teeth until they are about three, then encourage them to join in, whilst supervised.
  • Brush twice a day – morning and before bed.
  • Spend two minutes brushing.
  • Use a pea sized amount of children’s toothpaste and a children’s toothbrush with soft bristles and a small round head.
  • Brush your teeth with your child – helps motivate them, and they can copy you, which helps them learn.
  • Replace your child’s toothbrush when it begins to show wear, or every three months. (Whichever comes first.)
  • Guide your child away from sugary foods and fizzy drinks.
  • Try to introduce good inter-dental cleaning at an early age.
  • Discourage your children from sucking their thumbs – this can cause the top front teeth to stick out over time.