Dental health has major effects on overall health; getting started with healthy habits early can be all the difference. That’s why children’s dentist care under pediatric dentistry is so important.

To learn more about children’s dental character and the services pediatric dentistry provides, chat live with dentists on Just Dental.

Children’s dental care

Setting the precedent for a lifetime of good oral hygiene can be done one tooth at a time.

Caring for your child’s teeth is a major part of maintaining their overall health. Just as important as taking them to the pediatrician on a regular basis, you should take your child to see their pediatric dentist every six months. Starting and maintaining a positive oral routine through your child’s teenage years will help to ensure a lifetime of oral health. We will be discussing how to be teaching your child good oral hygiene and baby teeth development in this Just Dental article.

Baby teeth, Prenatal Odontogenesis 

How soon does teeth development start for kids? Well, it really starts before the very first day they are conceived. Although the progress of children’s teeth continues well after birth, the development of teeth, odontogenesis, begins within the sixth and seventh week of conception. Known as the initiation stage, various parts of the baby teeth begin to form. Generally occurring during the eighth week, the bud stage begins. This is the stage when tooth germs are developed where the teeth will be formed.

The cap stage, beginning between the ninth and tenth weeks of development, marks the beginning of the nerve formation of each tooth. The bell stage begins between the eleventh and twelfth week of prenatal development, continuing the development process which has begun. The apposition stage serves as a framework for eventual calcification and the maturation stage completes calcification and the enamel of the teeth develop. After the child is born, the final stage is known as the eruption stage. The eruption stage continues until all the baby teeth have emerged. Mostly occurring at night, this can often be a painful process for the baby.

Continued development of teeth:

Although baby teeth will eventually be replaced, do not believe the myth that baby teeth are not important. In addition to learning how to talk and eat, baby teeth also save space for a child’s adult teeth. This is a very important fact, that parents need to keep in mind. That the baby teeth or primary teeth are important for how the adult or permanent teeth are growing in.

Primary baby teeth

Which baby teeth develop first? 

As most parents who have had kids know, the front middle teeth are usually what first erupts. The central bottom teeth are generally the first teeth to visibly arrive, generally between the age of six months and one year. How soon should we start to brush our kid's teeth? Right when the teeth erupt, should start to consider very gently cleaning the teeth or tooth. Using a small, soft bristle toothbrush and a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste is all that you need. Brush your child’s teeth for them when they are young, so they get used to the feel in their mouth. It is time to consider starting flossing when you see two teeth close enough together that they are touching. For parents, this may not be too easy - but should try to at least brush the teeth. Many parents use various tricks or games to get their teeth to get use to brushing their teeth. Generally, they want the kids to start to enjoy brushing their own teeth when young.

Most children have a full set of 20 baby teeth by the time they’re 3 or 4, and they normally start losing the baby teeth around six years old. When your child starts to lose their baby teeth, they may find that eating and chewing some foods are more difficult.

Keep up your child’s routine of brushing their teeth. Take extra care brushing around loose teeth. Let loose teeth fall out on their own to avoid pain and/or infection if possible. Because, usually, baby teeth fall out on their own. It is good to see a dentist regularly - and sometimes baby teeth may end up needing to be extracted by your dentist. Generally, baby teeth do not have large roots and are fairly easy to extract, though sometimes they get stuck in gums or a piece of the tooth can break off and another piece may be left inside the mouth.

From the ages of 6-12 years old, children have a mixture of baby teeth and adult teeth. The baby teeth at the back are replaced around 10-12 years of age. By this age, most children have all their adult teeth except for their wisdom teeth.

Sometimes an adult tooth will come through before the baby tooth has fallen out. If the baby tooth does not fall out within three months, see your pediatric dentist for a consult.

Pediatric dental care information blog

We get asked many pediatric dentistry questions online - A common pediatric dental question from parents is, “What age do I take my child to their first dentist appointment?” A rule of thumb is, “The first visit by the first birthday”. 

The American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend your child visit a pediatric dentist when their first tooth comes in.

Pediatric dentistry is one of nine recognized specialties of the American Dental Association. Pediatric dentists specialize in the oral care of children - from infancy throughout the teen years. 

To become pediatric dental specialists, pediatric dentists must usually complete an additional two or three years of specialized training in addition to the four years of required dental school. That is, after graduating from dental school - do another 2 or 3 years of pediatric dentistry education. Local Pediatric Dentists are trained to treat children’s dental issues, in addition to care for pediatric patients who may have medical, mental, or physical challenges. Pediatric dentists can address issues related to younger children, including thumb sucking, bottle feeding and pacifier use.

Remember, baby teeth can get cavities just like adult teeth can. Seeing a pediatric dentist should be done to help prevent any further oral complications.

Teenager teeth development blog

Once teens develop their full set of adult teeth, preventative care, and/or orthodontics are common.

Pediatric Dentistry Blogging about Sealants - Local Pediatric Dentists Blog: 

We get asked many dental sealants filling questions. Teeth sealants are commonly used for children. Common Tooth Sealant Question is, why does my child need teeth sealants? The dental sealant placed on children's teeth is meant as a tooth protective layer to protect the tooth from caries. All teeth have pits and grooves on the surfaces and dental sealants protect the teeth from cavities. Even if your child brushes and flosses carefully, it can be nearly impossible to clean the tiny grooves and pits. Bacteria and food build up in these crevices, yet dental sealants can seal out plaque and food, reducing the chances of cavities and tooth decay. Sealants, made usually of some kind of clear or shaded plastic, are applied to the teeth without any discomfort. The tooth is then cleaned, conditioned and dried. Immediately following, the sealant is applied into the grooves of the tooth and is then hardened with a special sealant light. 

If properly cared for, sealants can last for up to 9 years, though usually, they last much less than that. At each dental appointment, pediatric dentists should check the sealants to see if sealants need to be reapplied. That is, since the sealants can come out. Remember that even if your child has sealants, proper brushing and flossing is still required to maintain healthy teeth.

Orthodontist braces blog / Orthodontics Teeth Straightening Information

Orthodontics is defined as, “a branch of dentistry dealing with irregularities of the teeth (such as malocclusion) and their correction (as by braces)”, orthodontic dentistry is an area of specialization. Like pediatric dentistry, orthodontic dentistry is another one of the nine recognized specialties of the American Dental Association. Orthodontic dentistry dentists are known as orthodontists. Orthodontists are specialized dentists to treat irregularities in teeth such as teeth crowding, jaw alignment with braces, or other dental appliances. Local Orthodontic Dentistry Question Online we get asked is - why does orthodontic dentistry focus on the bite or occlusion? It focuses on correcting bites, occlusion, and the straightness of teeth. Braces, since - many times when aligning or shifting teeth, the alignment and the bite is paramount to success. That is, making sure the teeth come together properly after the movement of the teeth and jaw with orthodontic appliances such as braces or clear aligners. One of the most common connections to orthodontists includes providing other services including space maintainers, jaw repositioning appliances (splints); aligners; palatal expanders; lip and cheek bumpers and removable retainers. For orthognathic jaw surgery, which is an oral surgery procedure - that is done with an oral surgeon usually.  Though, orthodontists & dentists work hand in hand usually with the oral surgeon on the overall treatment plan.

Clear Aligners Discussion:

We get asked many clear aligner questions - one common Clear Aligner Question is  are clear aligners or orthodontic braces better? Clear aligners are used by dentists, usually instead of braces to correct crooked teeth or teeth overcrowding, etc. Both orthodontics braces and clear aligners can work - but it is important to have a proper dental treatment plan.  After taking dental x-rays and studying the correct teeth models, your dentist or orthodontist can help you decide what is the best option for you?  

Forming a healthy dental hygiene routine with your teen is pertinent to avoiding health complications. Caring for a teen’s adult teeth includes brushing at least two times per day to remove the build-up of plaque and tartar. Scrape the tongue at least one time per day and floss to remove any excess bacteria. Additionally, keeping candy and sugar to a minimum can help to prevent tooth decay. Dental sealants may also be used by dentists to help avoid dental caries, especially if have deep grooves in the teeth.

Orthodontic Braces Questions - common orthodontic braces question get asked is - When can I get my braces off? Do I need braces? How to clean braces? We discuss these pediatric dentistry question topics and more at Just Dental.

We get many pediatric dental questions with us at Just Dental. Whether it is pediatric dental care chat, children's teeth development information question online blogging, and kid dental care problem blog discussion online with us - we have dentists ready to answer your pediatric dentistry question online with us at Just Dental. We will get into more details about the best dental practices for pediatric dentistry and various dental issues that come up with kid's teeth as they grow older, in future articles. 

We are networking with local pediatric dentistry offices and local pediatric dentists. Use our Live Pediatric Just Dental, Pediatric Dentists can Add Dentist ChatBot to their pediatric dental office website and can Add Pediatric TeleDentistry Consulting to their dental practice.

We discussed pediatric dentistry questions, children dental care questions, Local Orthodontist questions, orthodontist braces questions, jaw repositioning, palatal expander questions, teenager dental care information questions, local baby teeth question, primary teeth, Prenatal Odontogenesis and more in this article.  We welcome local pediatric dentist blogs or articles written by professional pediatric dentists. 

You can discuss any of these topics with our dentist live chat at Just Dental.