Questions about children’s teeth and dental care?

At what age should a child first visit the dentist?

Every child should see the dentist by age 1, or within six months after the first baby tooth erupts.

My child has a tooth growing behind/in front of/to the side of their baby tooth. What should I do?

Bring your child to the dentist to have it evaluated. Adult teeth are supposed to grow into the space left empty by baby teeth. If the baby tooth has not moved out of the way yet, it can block the adult tooth from coming out or cause it to come out in the wrong place.

Do children need to floss?

Yes! Any time teeth are close enough together to touch, they should be flossed. No matter how well you brush, the toothbrush cannot get into those spaces. Baby teeth (just like adult teeth) can get cavities in between them if they are not flossed regularly

Why do baby teeth need fillings if they’re just going to fall out anyways?

Baby teeth are actually placeholders for adult teeth. They hold the space until the adult tooth underneath is done growing and is ready to come out. When baby teeth are lost prematurely, it can cause loss of space, which may make it difficult for the adult tooth to grow in properly.

At what age can my child brush his/her own teeth?

At whatever age they can do a good job! A good rule of thumb is when a child can tie their own shoelaces, they are probably ready to brush on their own. But even when they brush by themselves, you should always check afterwards to see if they are doing a good job. If you see any fuzzy plaque on their teeth, help them by brushing for them.