WAXHAW, NC – Hi! I’m Dr. Anait, your neighbourhood dentist, and in this issue I am going to address important things you need to know about primary or baby teeth.

Your child is born with all 20 baby teeth present in the jaw. First baby teeth, lower incisors, make their appearance around 6 months of age. To help your baby through the teething process, you can massage the gums with a clean finger, wet gauze or have them bite on a teething toy. By the age of 3 all 20 primary teeth are erupted.

Baby teeth play a very important role. They help your child speak, eat, smile, and most importantly, they are place holders for the adult teeth. Premature loss of baby teeth will cause the adult teeth erupt and tip over into the empty spaces blocking the pathway of adult teeth resulting in crooked bite and crowded teeth.

American Association of Pediatric Dentistry recommends parents schedule a “baby wellness” for teeth appointment by the age of 1. At this appointment the dentist will check for cavities as well as guide the parents on how to care for their child’s teeth and address habits like thumb sucking.

Properly caring for baby teeth and keeping them healthy will set your child up for a lifetime of healthy habits. Feel free to email me at office@MillBridgeDentistry.com or call (704) 665-7887 with all your dental questions.

In the next issue we are going to discuss gum disease and heart health.