Caring for your child's teeth Mouth guards can reduce the risk of damaging your teeth as they help to protect your teeth from injuries.5,6 A mouth guard is a soft rubber cover that usually covers your upper teeth and gums. If you are involved in a sport that increases your risk of a dental injury you should wear a mouth guard during participation.
Your dentist can make you a mouth guard. He or she will take a mould of your teeth using a putty-like material. The mould is sent to a laboratory where your mouth guard is made. Usually, mouth guards can be made from your choice of clear, coloured or patterned rubber.
A well-fitting mouth guard should stay in place while you're wearing it, so that you can talk and breathe normally.
Children's teeth start to develop before they are born. There are two sets of teeth: "milk" teeth and permanent teeth.
Children usually have 20 milk (or deciduous) teeth. They start to grow through the gums (erupt) at about six months old. Most children have all 20 teeth by the age of two or three.
Milk teeth have an important part to play in the development of the permanent teeth, so it is very important to look after them.
Permanent teeth usually start to erupt at the age of six. Adults have up to 32 permanent teeth. Most of these will erupt by the age of 13. However, wisdom teeth - those at the very back of the mouth - often don't erupt until the late teens or early twenties.
Permanent teeth press on the roots of the milk teeth. The roots dissolve until the milk teeth fall out. This is called exfoliation and happens between 7 and 13 years old.
If permanent teeth are damaged or need to be removed, there will not be another set of natural teeth to replace them.
How can I protect my child's teeth?There are a number of things that you can do to reduce your child's risk of tooth decay and dental erosion. Some useful tips include:
These tips are discussed in more detail below.
It is a good idea to take your child when you go for your own routine dental check-ups, even when they are too young to have teeth. This helps them to become familiar with the people and the surroundings at the dental surgery.
Your dentist will look in your child's mouth in a fairly informal way. This allows your dentist to count how many teeth have erupted and spot any early signs of decay. Quick, painless check-ups like this help to encourage good co-operation when your child is older.
Your dentist will recommend check-ups at intervals that are suitable for your child's needs. Children usually need more frequent dental visits than adults. This is because milk teeth are smaller and have thinner enamel, so decay can spread very quickly. Frequent check-ups help your dentist to treat decay early, before it causes toothache.
Most parents know that reducing sugar in the diet is the best way to prevent tooth decay. What many don't realise, though, is that it is how often their child eats sugar - rather than how much - that is important. Eating sugary food and drinks frequently is the main cause of tooth decay.
Similarly, it is the frequency of acidic food and drinks - rather than the amount - that affects tooth erosion. Consuming acidic drinks frequently is the main cause of tooth erosion.
To protect your child's teeth against decay and erosion, try to keep squashes, fizzy drinks, natural fruit juices, sweets and cakes to a minimum. It is especially important to avoid sugary food and drinks as snacks between meals or before bedtime.
Fruit, vegetables, cheese and milk are all healthier snacks because they contain natural sugars. These are much less likely to cause decay. You can help to protect against erosion by finishing a meal with an alkaline food such as milk or cheese. This will neutralise the acid in your child's mouth.
Plain water doesn't cause tooth decay or erosion. Some children find it hard to drink water if they usually have sweeter drinks, but they will get used to it in time.
You should start cleaning your child's teeth as soon as they come through the gums. Toothbrushes specifically for babies are available. It is important to try and make tooth brushing a regular activity, after breakfast and before bedtime, so that it becomes part of your child's daily routine.
As your child gets older you can teach them how to brush their own teeth, using a gentle, circular motion and fluoride toothpaste. Make sure that they understand that they have to clean every tooth. Give them plenty of encouragement and praise.
You should supervise your child while they brush their teeth. Once they are about seven years old - or can write legibly - they can start to brush their teeth on their own, but check how well they are doing every few days.
Disclosing tablets are small pills that, if chewed for 30 seconds, turn plaque a bright colour - usually pink. This can help you to show your child any areas that they have missed.
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