For those of you who have children, you’re probably not alone in wishing they had come with an instruction manual. There are so many things to learn about caring for kids! While we can’t tell you how to deal with angsty teens, we’ve put together a short post about teeth that may help you out. Specifically about baby teeth.
“When do my kids start to lose their teeth?”
“When do they lose their front teeth?”
“How come my kid hasn’t lost any teeth yet?”
While teeth eruption and shedding vary in each child, here are a couple charts from the American Dental Association that you can follow as a general guideline.
Remember, this is just a general guideline. Some kids lose teeth before or after the years indicated above. And while your job is to assist the Tooth Fairy, it’s ours to make sure that the teeth are coming in the way they should. This is one of the reasons we take Panoramic x-rays. They are images that show us the entire jaw, and we use those to see if children have all of their permanent teeth. Sometimes, there may be a permanent tooth missing. In that case, dental visits are important to help keep that baby tooth healthy and in use for as long as possible. As children get older, you can talk to your dental professional about replacement options if that baby tooth does end up falling out. It’s more common than you think to have this occur!
Another common question we get is when to start bringing kids to the dentist. Cavities don’t discriminate, and we have seen 3-year-olds with small cavities. To learn more about how to avoid cavities, see our previous post. The easy answer is as soon as they have teeth! But most one-year-olds won’t appreciate strangers trying to pry their mouths open. It’s usually up to the parent to decide if their child can handle a dental appointment. In our office, we see children as young as two, but some kids aren’t ready until they’re four. For this reason, it’s important to practice good dental habits as soon as children start developing teeth. Flossing and polishing in a dental chair is much easier for children whose parents practice with them daily at home. Many parents also bring their child in a couple times before their first appointment. Watching mom and dad’s cleanings can help the child get used to just being at the dental office.
We hope this helps a little in your parenting journey! If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us and we will assist you any way we can!