Phone: 910-778-8485 fax: 910-436-8485
2980 Ray Road Spring Lake NC 28390 Near Overhills Schools
Specializing in the treatment of infants, children, teens and special needs patients.
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Taking good care of your child’s teeth must start even before the first tooth appears. You can prevent tooth decay in your child by following good dental habits.
Tooth decay can develop as soon as the first tooth erupts. Brushing every day may not be enough to prevent it. If tooth decay is not prevented it can be costly to treat. If left untreated, it can destroy the teeth. This can cause infection, early loss of baby teeth, crooked adult teeth, and decay in adult teeth.
Sealants are used to protect the chewing surfaces from tooth decay.
Your dentist can help prevent or reduce the incidence of decay by applying sealants to your child’s teeth.
– A sealant is a clear or shaded plastic material that is painlessly applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often.
– Sealants protect normal depressions and grooves in the teeth called pits and fissures, which are particularly susceptible to tooth decay.
1. A smear or rice size of toothpaste can be used as soon the first tooth erupts if the child is at high risk for decay.
2. Caution is advised when using fluoridated toothpaste for young children because they may swallow excessive amounts of toothpaste.
3. When your child can spit out the excessive toothpast usually at age 2 years to 3 years old switch to a small pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste.
4. Children younger than 6 years should use only a pea size amount of fluoridated toothpaste.
5. Check the fluoride content of toothpastes; almost all toothpastes manufactured in the United States provide topical fluoride, but not all natural toothpastes do.
1. The first tooth eruption is usually between 4 and 15 months of age.
2. If eruption of the first tooth has not occurred by 18 months, make an appointment to see your pediatric dentist.
3. Premature and low birth weight babies can have
delayed primary tooth eruption and enamel defects,
putting them at higher risk for decay.
4. Eruption is usually lower teeth before upper teeth. The lower front teeth are the first to erupt and the first to be replaced by permanent teeth.
5. To remember the timing of the first 4 teeth erupt at 7 months then every 4 months 4 more teeth erupt until at 27 months all 20 baby teeth should have erupted.
6. For permanent teeth Eruption starts between 5 to 7 years and finishes by 13 to 14 years old except for wisdome teeth (third molars)
7. It is common to see permanent teeth erupt behind
the primary incisor teeth in the lower jaw. This
typically resolves itself without intervention.
8. The first permanent molars erupt behind the last baby tooth around 6 years of age.
