Baby teeth: what you need to know

Milk teeth are the teeth that precede permanent teeth. So they are also called temporary teeth. Still, they play a very important role in the development of children. For that reason, they should be taken care of to ensure good dental development in young children.

What function do milk teeth have?

Milk teeth, also called primary teeth, have a very important function in the teething and formation of our little ones. Milk teeth are not only transitional teeth for permanent teeth, but have other important functions, such as:

1. Chewing solid foods. Milk teeth take an important place in the transition from breast milk to eating solid foods. Milk teeth help children to crush food well, and therefore have a good digestion of it.
2. Pronunciate word. Chewing with the milk teeth strengthens the muscles to improve the pronunciation of words. In addition, the milk teeth teach the child to synchronize the tongue and lips to have a good diction, especially with those phonations that require the use of the teeth.
3. Develop maxillary. The maxillary bone (or jaw bone) along with the muscles develops through the chewing of food, especially between the ages of 2 and 5. Chewing constantly strengthens and makes the jaw bone grow. In fact, this is the reason why children want to take everything into their mouth and bite their first toys.
4. Form a correct bite. The teeth reserve the place and position for the permanent teeth, serve as a guide for the definitive teeth. These help keep the teeth from deflecting or getting trapped underneath.
5. Keep the face aesthetics. Milk teeth, even, help to form the bones of the face, allowing there to be a correct ratio between the parts of the face.

For that reason, milk teeth take a very important place in the development of children, and they must be cared for.

At what age do milk teeth come out?

Usually, the first tooth of milk comes out 6 months and the last by around 3 years of age, although this varies from child to child. The first baby tooth is estimated to appear between 8 months to the first year of age.

The first milk teeth to come out are usually the lower front teeth or the lower central incisors. They are followed by the upper fronts or upper incisors. While the last milk teeth to come out are usually molars or later ones.

These teeth of milk will begin to fall from 5 to 6 years old, when permanent teeth begin to come out.

Symptoms of milk teeth coming out

There are several symptoms that can tell you that your child is going to start or is in the teething process. Here are the most common:

• The baby cries a lot. When the milk teeth begin to come out, the child becomes very irritated by the discomfort it causes.
• Difficulty sleeping. The above symptom is usually accompanied, with the baby's difficulty sleeping.
• The baby won't eat. The discomfort caused can also cause the little one not to want to eat.
• Try biting or chewing hard objects. The reason for this is that chewing hard objects helps relieve the discomfort caused by the outflow of milk teeth.
• He drools a lot. Drinking a lot is also one of the signs that your baby has entered this process. This can happen during dentition time, but also a little earlier.
• Sensitive and swollen gums. They are a clear indication that the milk teeth have begun to come out.

Neither fever nor diarrhea are signs of teething babies. Although some associate it with this period, there is no study to support it. If your child has these symptoms, it may be due to other problems and will need medical attention.

How should milk teeth be cared for?

Caring for the baby’s milk teeth is fundamental to their good development. Many parents who think that there is no problem in these teeth being damaged because “they will be replaced by permanent ones.” However, the health of permanent teeth depends heavily on the health of the milk teeth. Hence the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene from an early age in children. Here are some tips you can follow to clean your baby’s teeth:

• Clean your baby's gums. Many dentists recommend starting good oral hygiene in babies even before the first teeth come out. Wash your baby’s mouth twice a day, one in the morning and one in the night before bed. You can use a wet gauze to Carefully clean the gums and cheeksStill, it's good that you consult your dentist.
• Don't let the baby sleep while you breastfeed. It is necessary to avoid that milk is in contact with teeth for too long, as it helps the appearance of bacterial plaque and even cavities. When the child falls asleep, it is normal for the milk to remain in his mouth longer than it should be.
• Your baby should be on a proper diet. You have to control the amount of sugar the child consumes. It's not about prohibiting the consumption of sugar, it's about avoiding the high amounts. And after consuming sugar products it's important that we wash their teeth. It happens the same as with milk, while sugar is more tooth-consistent, it will be more prone to caries production.
• Teach it from a young age to have good dental hygiene. It is important to educate our children to have good oral hygiene from a very young age. In this way, children will become accustomed throughout their lives to taking good care of their teeth. Try not to see it as an obligation for them not to show opposition. Make the process of brushing their teeth exciting and fun.
• Visit the dentist regularly. It is important to evaluate the state of the milk teeth and to receive personalized advice from a professional to know the best way to care for your little ones' teeth.

How should they brush their milk teeth?

Once the child has his or her first teeth, it is ideal that you start brushing them to provide better dental hygiene. In this sense, you should consider the following considerations:

• Use a toothbrush for kids. Since they are small brushes of soft bristles that will not hurt your children’s gums. In addition, they are usually colorful to make your child’s brushing experience more fun.
• Use a special toothpaste for children. It is important to check with your dentist which is the best toothpaste for your little one. Do not use adult toothpaste since they have a greater amount of fluorine. A dentist might also recommend a rinsing mouth for childrenIf you have any need, and as long as you have the ability to spit it out.
• The proportion of toothpaste is important. For children under the age of 3, you should add toothpaste the size of a grain of rice. When they are over the age of 3, you can add a little more.
• Brush your teeth for the right time and shape. It is ideal that the brushing time is 2 minutes, especially if the child already has all the milk teeth. The bass teeth should be brushed up and those top down. And they should be brushed both on the outside and inside.

Avoid cavities in milk teeth

Milk teeth too are prone to decay. The cavities cause many problems in the development of teeth. For example, they could be passed from the milk tooth to the permanent tooth.

If a tooth decay gets worse, the teeth of milk should be removed. To remove a tooth of milk prematurely is harmful to the teeth of children. This would cause the teeth to move to cover the space so that the teeth are affected.

The most important thing to avoid cavities in milk teeth is avoid excess sugar for your baby and give it good dental hygiene.

Orthodontic treatments in children with temporary teeth

In ODONTOFAMILY we take into account the importance of taking care of your little ones' milk teeth. If you want to keep your child's milk teeth in good condition, you can make an appointment Here..