How should you brush your children’s teeth? Should children brush their own teeth? What toothbrush and toothpaste is better suited for children? What happens if you do not regularly brush your teeth? We will provide all of the tips and tricks you need to learn how to properly care for and brush children’s teeth in this post.
Children’s teeth – when do babies get their teeth?
Children are normally born without any teeth whatsoever. Typically, teeth are formed and hidden within the gums, and will not become visible until around 6-9 months of age.
If you have not already purchased a bite ring, now may be the perfect time. Once your child grows their teeth, you should also begin brushing their teeth. Using a soft toothbrush, take a pea-sized dot of baby toothpaste, and do your best to ensure the child does not swallow any toothpaste.
When do Children Get Their Teeth?
Deciduous teeth are created as the baby grows in the uterus, and they continue to grow in the jaw before the baby is born. Because each child is different, children tend to get their first teeth at varying ages. While some children get their first visible teeth as early as 3 to 4 months of age, other children don’t get any visible teeth until closer to a year of age. Normally, the first teeth emerge around 6 to 9 months of age.
The first teeth a baby gets are known as deciduous teeth, providing a totally of 20 teeth, with 10 in each jaw. All deciduous teeth usually appear when the baby is around 2 1/2 to 3 years of age. Even if your baby loses their deciduous teeth, it is vitally important to take good care of them, as they are especially susceptible to cavities.
6-9 months
8-12months
16-20 months
12-16 months
20-30 months
6-years old (permanent teeth)
Tooth Eruption for an Infant
The first tooth normally emerges and becomes visible when the child is between 6-9 months old — this is called tooth eruption. Usually, the two front middle teeth come in the lower jaw first. When the teeth are breaking through the gums, children often show signs of the following symptoms:
- Increased salivation/drooling
- Need to chew things
- Increased irritation
- Fever and/or diarrhea (especially as the first tooth emerges)
A good way to relieve the aforementioned symptoms is to provide the child with a bite ring made of rubber, or a toothbrush, to chew on. It is often said that parents observe a fever or nausea in their children as a new tooth arrives. While there is no scientific evidence for this connection, it may be caused by other illnesses (such as a cold) coinciding with the emergence of said teeth.
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Deciduous Teeth – Facts and Tips
Deciduous teeth are usually ready to emerge when the baby is 6 to 12 months old, and the babies tend to lose them when they are 5 to 6 years old. In order for the teeth to develop, they need proteins and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium), in addition to vitamin D, vitamin C, and vitamin A. If the child is deficient in any of these substances, it can lead to disturbances and malformation of resulting teeth.
What is a Deciduous Tooth?
Humans grow two sets of teeth and deciduous teeth throughout their lifetime, and the first teeth grow during infancy. These baby teeth are adapted for a child’s smaller mouth, often thinner than the permanent teeth, being extra prone to developing cavities. For this reason, it’s rather important to start brushing their teeth as soon as the first baby teeth become visible.
Why are They Called Deciduous Teeth?
People aren’t completely sure why they are called deciduous teeth, but it is probably because the teeth are coming during a period when the baby is breastfeeding (drinking milk), or because they are whiter in color compared to permanent teeth.
The Growth of the Deciduous Teeth
The initial deciduous teeth appear at the front of a baby’s mouth. Around the age of three years, all of the deciduous teeth have made their appearance. In total, you will have 20 deciduous teeth, all of which must be replaced during a so-called “tooth exchange”. This exchange finishes around the age of 13 years.
Sometimes people lack the predisposition for adult teeth, which is a rare occurrence in which deciduous teeth do not fall out. At this point, they do not fall out within the normal age range, where your typical tooth exchange should have taken place. Individuals may lack the aptitude for one or more teeth. If there is no predisposition, the deciduous teeth can very well remain in place for life. If you lose a deciduous tooth, and there is no predisposition for the permanent tooth, you may find a variety of solutions with various types of implants or extensions.
Deciduous Teeth and the Way they Look
Deciduous teeth can vary in appearance. While they may form a perfect row of teeth, they may also sit sparsely, obliquely, and unevenly. It is common for children to have deciduous teeth that look different, which gets corrected over time as the jaw bone continues to develop. There is a higher chance for individuals with higher amounts of teeth in their mouth, to have straight teeth. Gaps may also disappear over time, as the canines press from behind over time, enabling the front teeth to become compressed. Braces are only inserted when all of the deciduous teeth have fallen out.
When the Baby Deciduous Begin to Loosen
Over time, you lose all of your deciduous teeth. The first deciduous teeth begin to fall out when the baby is six years old. It usually starts with the front teeth in the lower jaw and continues on into the upper jaw. When the deciduous teeth start to loosen, the roots dissolve as the new permanent teeth form. In the end, the deciduous teeth have no longer any attachment and it is then possible to wiggle them loose. In the case of a deciduous tooth stubbornly remaining in place, it is considered helpful to wiggle and twist the loosening tooth, in order to prevent damage to the underlying emerging permanent tooth.
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For a period of time, you will have both deciduous teeth and permanent teeth in your mouth, which are referred to as alternating teeth. When you are nearing 13 years of age, you usually have all of your permanent teeth, for a total of 28 teeth. Most people will then get four teeth known as the wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are located at the very back of your mouth, in both the upper and lower jaws.
When Do Babies get their First Permanent Teeth?
From the day of birth, there are predispositions for permanent teeth. These teeth grow and develop underneath the deciduous teeth. As the permanent teeth grow, the roots of the deciduous teeth begin to dissolve and, at the age of six, your baby loses his first deciduous tooth. At the same time, the baby gets its first permanent tooth. Between the ages of 6 and 13 years, your baby will gradually lose all 20 deciduous teeth. It’s at this point that the child will have each of their permanent teeth.
Everything about Brushing Children’s Teeth
As soon as your little one gets teeth, you should also begin using the proper toothbrush. It is important to brush your baby’s teeth to ensure the deciduous teeth do not suffer from cavities, creating good habits for permanent teeth.
If residues from food and drink remain on the teeth, the acid attack is prolonged. Bacteria in the mouth can grow by the nutrition that especially all sweet food can provide. The worst is at night. Brushing your teeth in the morning and evening removes a large part of the bacteria, which reduces the acid attack on the teeth.
Why and when should you brush your teeth?
It is important to brush a baby’s teeth both in the morning and the evening. In the morning, you brush the teeth after your baby’s breakfast, as well as in the evening after the baby’s dinner. If the child has a tendency to fall asleep at the last meal of the evening, it is better to brush the teeth before the meal, rather than not at all. When brushing your baby’s teeth, food debris and bacteria can lead to the development of cavities, appearing from the tooth’s surface.
Begin brushing the baby’s teeth as soon as the first tooth emerges, an occurrence known as tooth breakage. Ensure the utilization of a small soft baby toothbrush. You can also use fluoride toothpaste when you begin, by simply taking a small, pea-sized dot of toothpaste onto the brush. Try to ensure the baby does not swallow the toothpaste. When you are brushing, make sure to moisten the toothbrush with a little water, gently rubbing the teeth in the morning and each evening.
Who Brushes the Baby’s Teeth?
Children sometimes want to brush their own teeth, however, children are not able to brush their own teeth all by themselves until they are ten years old. Only then will their fine motor skills be sufficiently developed for them to be able to brush their teeth on their own. Before that time, children need the assistance of an adult. Feel free to help them learn, by letting the child brush first, helping with the brushing once they’re done.
How to Brush Children’s Teeth
Many parents may feel unsure about brushing their child’s teeth, whereas others are even more unsure in terms of whether they are doing it correctly. When you brush a child’s teeth, begin by brushing the outside and inside of the teeth with small light rubbing movements, down towards the gums. To access the front teeth, you may need to lift the lip with one finger. Finally, continue by brushing the chewing surface of the teeth.
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What Toothpaste is Most Appropriate for Children?
As soon as a child gets their teeth, parents should start brushing them. However, it may be helpful to hold off on toothpaste until the first molar emerges. Feel free to use baby toothpaste, since adult toothpaste is often too strong for small children. Just use a little bit of the toothpaste, such as a pea-sized or smaller. A good way to determine the proper amount of toothpaste is to make a dot the size of your baby’s little fingernail.
How do I Choose the Correct Child’s Toothbrush?
Choose a baby toothbrush that has soft bristles. To be on the safe side, you can buy these from your dentist or at the pharmacy. Do not forget to replace the toothbrush whenever it has been used for a long time. As the child gets a little bigger, it is good to utilize an electric toothbrush, instead. Your child does not need to rinse his mouth after brushing their teeth, as lingering fluoride toothpaste in the mouth is beneficial for a baby’s teeth.
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What if a Child doesn’t Want to Brush Their Teeth?
Some children love to brush their teeth, whereas other children may refuse to do so. This is commonplace in terms of other practices involving food, nail clipping, and other parts of everyday life. Remember not to despair, but rather accept these moments as seasons in your life that come and go — should this happen, do not give up! Put in the work, play and continue to brush their teeth each day, and you will soon get back into developing good habits. At the end of this article, will find tips on how to make tooth brushing more fun.
Tooth Decay
The diet of infants is often comprised of breast milk, but around the same time as the emergence of teeth, it is rather common to begin with flavored portions. Avoid sweet dishes prematurely, such as fruit purees, juices, sweets, etc. since this only serves to increase the risk of cavities and tooth damage from an early age. There are several reasons for the development of cavities in teeth, and it is important to realize that small children get cavities easier compared to adults. There is a greater risk of children getting cavities if you do not regularly brush your teeth each day. They may develop a thick layer of bacteria on the surface of the teeth, which leads to acid which corrodes the teeth. If you eat and drink things that are sweet, there is an excess layer of bacteria in your mouth. It is when the acid corrodes the tooth enamel that it becomes a hole or cavity.
A Damaged Deciduous Tooth
It’s an often occurrence when children gnash their teeth, or they fall out. You should contact your dentist directly if a tooth is bleeding excessively, or becomes loose, is pushed in or soaked out. The most important thing is to seek the appropriate dental care, especially if you notice the darkening of a tooth’s color, especially if your child hit it. In the case of damage to one or more of the baby’s deciduous teeth, or the loss of a piece of tooth, a dentist can build it back up with composite. The tooth will appear as whole again, and it will continue to last for a long time. If a child develops a hole in a deciduous tooth, it can be repaired just like a permanent tooth. However, if the tooth is infected, you may need to have the deciduous tooth pull out, in order to reduce the risk of damaging any underlying permanent teeth.
Tooth Tips and Tricks
Never force your child to brush their teeth. This creates a risk of tooth brushing creating a somewhat negative impact, emotionally. Try to use your imagination to make it as fun as possible whenever brushing their teeth. Feel free to play games, sing, or even count. Here are some additional tips:
- Look in the mirror to find funny things in your mouth.
- Have the child brush your teeth. Look in the mirror and tell them how well it turned out.
- Cheer and clap your hands between brushing.
- Find a sound that matches that of brushing teeth. This may sound like an electric toothbrush, a car, or something similar.
- Mess up. Children find it fun when adults make mistakes, so they can show you how they can do it right. Hold the toothbrush in the wrong place when you brush, or put the toothpaste on the shaft, thumb, or another place.
- Tell a story, perhaps about a little mouse that lives in the mouth and will soon have a big party. Continue with how the mouse is unable to find something he is searching for, so he may go around and around to look. The mouse may then need to clean, polish, etc.
- Another playful strategy is to go on a treasure hunt in their mouth. For example, you may look for white pearls and diamonds.
- Make up names for your teeth, and it will be more fun.
