Your Child's First Teeth
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) all recommend establishing a “Dental Home” for your child by one year of age. Children with a dental home are more likely to receive appropriate preventive and routine oral health care. The Dental Home is intended to provide parents with a place other than the Emergency Room.
You can make the first visit to the dentist enjoyable and positive. If old enough, your child should be informed of the visit and told that the dentist and their staff will explain all procedures and answer any questions. The less to-do concerning the visit, the better.
Avoid using words around your child that might cause unnecessary fear, such as needle, pull, drill, or hurt. Pediatric dental offices use words that convey the same message but are pleasant and non-frightening to the child.
When Will My Child Start Getting Teeth?
Teething, the process of baby (primary) teeth coming through the gums into the mouth, varies among individual babies. Some babies get their teeth early, and some get them late. In general, the first baby teeth to appear are usually the lower front (anterior) teeth and usually begin erupting between 6-8 months.
See “Eruption of Your Child’s Teeth” for more details.
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay (Early Childhood Caries)
One severe form of decay among young children is baby bottle tooth decay. Frequent and long exposures of an infant’s teeth to liquids that contain sugar cause this decay. Among these liquids are milk (including breast milk), formula, fruit juice, and other sweetened drinks.
Putting a baby to bed for a nap or at night with a bottle other than water can cause serious and rapid tooth decay. The sweet liquid will pool around the child’s teeth, allowing plaque bacteria to produce acids that attack tooth enamel. It should contain only water if you must give the baby a bottle as a comforter at bedtime. If your child doesn’t fall asleep without the bottle and its usual beverage, gradually dilute the bottle’s contents with water for two to three weeks.
After each feeding, wipe the baby’s gums and teeth with a damp washcloth or gauze pad to remove plaque. The easiest way to do this is to sit down, place the child’s head in your lap or lay the child on a dressing table or the floor. Whatever position you use, be sure you can see into the child’s mouth easily.
Sippy Cups
Your child should use sippy cups as a training tool from the bottle to a cup and discontinued by his or her first birthday. By filling the sippy cup with liquids that contain sugar (including milk, fruit juice, sports drinks, etc.) and allowing a child to drink from it throughout the day, it soaks the child’s teeth in cavity-causing bacteria. If your child uses a sippy cup throughout the day, fill the sippy cup with water only (except at mealtimes).