Just like starting Kindergarten, sprouting body hair and learning to drive, growing new teeth represents major milestones for your kids! We take care of a lot of children of various ages in the office and parents often ask if we think their teeth are growing in at a normal rate. When I came across this really informative page put together by the American Dental Association, I was thrilled. Now all of you worried parents can be assured that your child is developing normally.
Another common question I get from parents is at what age their offspring should come into the office for a first check-up. The answer, really, is as soon as that baby has any teeth. Baby teeth can have problems, too, so they should be checked regularly for optimal health. Of course, this means having to introduce a small child to dentistry, which can be terrifying by itself.
I’m always searching for resources that make it easier for parents to teach their kids good oral hygiene practices, like regular brushing and flossing. Kids can be a real pain when it comes to teaching that stuff — they just don’t understand the long term consequences and they love to resist The Man (their parents). But, you can’t totally blame them, they’re having to deal with a lot of regular tooth changes and anything that upsets your mouth kinda makes you cranky all over.
Today I found this cool page from the American Dental Association. It’s great information for parents about just when teeth erupt and how many there should be. I know a lot of you worry that your kids aren’t developing normally, but most of the time the children I see are perfectly fine. You might pop over to the ADA’s site and watch the videos they’ve linked for your education. There’s a lot of good stuff there, it might help you find a way around your current frustrations with the kiddos and their oral hygiene.
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/b/baby-teeth
