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With
the arrival of your child's teeth comes an awesome responsibility. Keeping
your child free of tooth decay is the goal. Like all things this is
easier when you know how.
We
are currently writing a book to provide help an information for parents
who want their children to grow up healthy and free from decay. Find out
how to get your free
copy.
Better
still why not book an appointment
with out experienced team who will be happy to offer you personalised
advice on keeping the whole family healthy.
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Stages
of Tooth Eruption
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Baby
teeth are identified by the letters A to E. Each child's two
front teeth are As the next teeth back are Bs. The baby eye
teeth are Cs and so on
|
| Baby
Teeth |
Erupt |
Lost |
| Central
incisor (A) |
8
- 12 months |
6
- 7 yrs. |
| Lateral
incisor (B) |
9
- 13 months |
7
- 8 yrs. |
| Canine
(C) |
16
- 22 months |
10
- 12 yrs. |
| First
molar (D) |
13
- 19 months |
9
- 11 yrs. |
| Second
molar (E) |
25
- 33 months |
10
- 12 yrs. |
|
3-4
months
|
You'll
notice the first signs that your baby's teeth are preparing to
break through the gum surface—this is called
"eruption." These signs include: irritation,
redness, sleeplessness, and teething. |
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| What
you can do |
To
relieve teething pain, let your baby chew on a teething ring
similar object. It may help to chill this in the fridge first. |
|
6-12
months
|
Your
baby's first tooth will erupt—this is usually one of the
four front teeth known as an incisor (A). The lower teeth are
usually first. The other front teeth will follow close behind. |
 |
|
only
the teeth in white have erupted at this stage |
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What
you can do
|
Use
a small, soft-bristle toothbrush to brush your baby's teeth in the
morning and before bedtime. Be very gentle and try to make this
into as much of a game as possible.
|
|
12-18
months
|
The remainder of the front teeth will erupt. The first molars
often then come through before the canines (Cs), so when you
look in baby's mouth you might see four teeth at the front
then a space and then some more teeth further back.
|
 |
|
only
the teeth in white have erupted at this stage |
|
What
you can do
|
Wean
your child from bottles by this age—doing so will help prevent Baby
Bottle Tooth Decay.
|
|
12-24
months
|
Canine
and first molar baby teeth will erupt, as well as the second
molars |
 |
|
all baby teeth have erupted by the end of this period |
|
What
you can do
|
You
can begin to teach your child to brush. The easiest teeth for your
child to clean are the front teeth, especially the outsides. Continue
to help your child when brushing. Remember to use only a pea-sized
amount of toothpaste.
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3-5
years
|
All
baby teeth should have come in. Permanent teeth are preparing
to erupt |
|
What
you can do |
Your
child still needs help with brushing, especially the inner
surfaces of the teeth furthest back in the mouth. Let him or
her brush, and then finish the brushing yourself.
Ask
the dentist about daily fluoride vitamin supplements. |
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5
+
years
|
Your child will lose baby teeth, and permanent teeth begin to come in,
starting with molars.
|
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What
you can do |
This
is when young children can develop good oral health habits—help to
teach them the proper techniques.
Your
child may be able to brush his or her teeth without help. Make sure
that your child is cleaning his or her teeth thoroughly. We recommend
finishing off brushing for children up to 8-10 years or older. |
Finally
please be aware that the dental health of Mum and Dad has a direct
influence on the dental health of a child. If you are interested
in helping your child to stay cavity free for life you will need to make
sure that your own dental health is in tip top shape first. This has
been demonstrated by several scientific studies. If you would like a
little help why not make an appointment
at the Craigentinny Dental Health Centre.
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