Baby Teeth
Usually the first baby teeth to come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. They begin to appear when your child is about 6 to 8 months old. They are followed by the 4 upper front teeth. The remainder of your babies teeth will appear periodically, usually in pairs on each side of the jaw, until the child is about 2 1/2 years old. By then all 20 baby teeth will most likely have come in. From this point until the child is 5 to 6 years of age, his/her first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth, others don't.
12 Ways to Make Brushing Fun for Preschoolers (early schoolers)! Here are some tips Dr. Belsito at Belsitodental has come up with over the years : Start with a visit to your dentist. Firstly we will teach you and your child the proper way to brush, using kid-friendly words.
1. Let your child pick out his/her own toothbrush and toothpaste. There are many colorful child-sized toothbrushes on the market, as well as toothpastes in flavours that appeal to kids. Just make sure that the toothbrush has soft or very soft, rounded bristles so they don't damage your child's gums or tooth enamel.
2. Be sure your child uses only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on his/her brush. Kids tend to swallow toothpaste, and it's important that they not get too much fluoride. If your child doesn't like toothpaste, don't sweat it! You don't want dental hygiene sessions to turn into a battle.
3. If you have more than one bathroom, keep a toothbrush and toothpaste for him/her in each one, to make brushing more convenient.
4. Using stickers or some other artwork, make little signs to put on your child's plate at mealtime, or on her pillow before bed, reminding him/her to brush.
5. Brush your pet's teeth, and let your child help - or at least watch. Not only does this reinforce the idea that clean teeth are important, it's also good for your pet.
6. Praise their brushing efforts and the results they're producing. Try saying "Your teeth are so sparkly!" or "Your breath smells so good!" They'll be delighted that you noticed, and the positive effects of brushing will be reinforced.
7. Try sharing some books about dental hygiene with your child. Some good ones are Dragon Teeth and Parrot Beaks - Even Creatures Brush Their Teeth,by Almute Grohmann, and Just Going to the Dentist, by Mercer Mayer. We have some at Belsitodental that you could borrow.
8. You and your child can make up silly tooth brushing songs set to familiar melodies like "The ABC Song," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," or "Row, Row, Row your Boat." Of course there are now musical toothbrushes that you could purchase at the dollar store.
9. Because children learn by example, be sure your child sees you brushing and flossing your own teeth every single day. It's good for them, and good for you!
10.Try “dry brushing” first, let your child brush first for a minute and then add a tiny bit of toothpaste, this way they brush twice and don’t even realize it. Also, make sure you finish there brushing, this way it’ll be thorough and complete.
11. Use time as a helper, maybe they want to brush after their favourite show, or say it’s 7:00 o’clock, it’s brushing time, or tell them they can watch their show after they brush. And finally,
12. It is important for each family member to have their own toothbrush (no sharing). Make theirs blue or sparkly or ducky, anything they like and will call their own.
In the interest of better oral health,
Dr. GJA Belsito BSc,DDS,FAGD,FADI, FACD, Cert. IV sedation / Belsitodental.com
519.258.1240
