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How Baby Teeth Impact Health and Development

Form Healthy Habits

Baby teeth generally begin to emerge around 6-8 months of age and require attention from parents to keep them healthy and cavity-free. By helping your child learn healthy dental habits from the beginning, you will help them carry these preventative habits into adulthood, saving them from pain and expensive future dental problems.

Speech Development

Keeping up on your child’s oral health can help prevent painful toothaches or periodontal disease, which could alter the way he or she speaks. During these developmental years, the way your child learns to talk and chew can also have long-lasting effects.

Placeholders For Adult Teeth

Your child’s baby teeth are holding the spots where their adult teeth will come in later (around 6 years of age). Keeping up the health of your child’s teeth and gums before the adult teeth emerge allows the adult teeth to come in smoothly and safely. Preventing periodontal disease can never start too early!

What Age Should Dental Office Visits Start?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends every child visit a dentist by the time they get their first tooth or by the age of 1. If your child doesn’t have any baby teeth by this age, don’t worry! Some children have their teeth emerge later than others, but you can always schedule time with Dr. Charu Saini to make sure there aren’t any underlying medical issues causing delay.

Engaging with Dr. Saini early on to develop an individual plan for your child will help her guide permanent teeth into the best position possible! The earlier we develop a relationship and get your child accustomed to being in a dental office, the better their future dental experiences will be. There will always be a transition period when introducing a child to something new, so let’s make that occur as an infant. That way, when your child is a toddler they’ll be the perfect dental patient (And as parents, you can sit back and relax rather than worrying about the dental appointment!).

• Prevention! It has been reported that more than 28 percent of children have cavities by the time they reach kindergarten. However, early education about the importance of good oral health is effective in prevention!
• Stay in School! Good oral health results in fewer school days missed, less work missed by parents and less costly treatment overall. Children without cavities will have more time to learn and develop, allowing them to grow into the amazing young adults they deserve to be!

Here are some highlights of your child’s first dental visit to Mapleridge Children & Adult
Dentistry:

• Developing a Relationship! We will take the time to know you and your child on a personal level. We want to understand your concerns and answer any questions you may have.
• Examination and Brushing! A thorough examination, cleaning, and placement of vitamins will be completed all while the young patient is in a comforting environment. We will then review the results as a team.
• Summary and Individualized Plan! The end of the appointment will involve a summary and an individual plan to help ensure your child stays cavity-free for the remainder of his/her life!

The staff at Mapleridge Children & Adult Dentistry in Liverpool, NY, is excited and ready to see children and adults of all ages!