Everyone has sore gums multiple times in their life, and it all starts at around 6 months old. At this time, children will begin teething which is the eruption, or breaking through, of teeth through the gums. Teething lasts until you’re about 2 years old, and it’s not a comfortable time for anyone.
Teething usually begins when your child reaches 4-8 months. At this time, the front teeth will start to erupt, or push through, the gums. This can be very painful for your child. They’ll want to stick things in their mouth to alleviate their pain, so make sure you watch what your child puts in their mouth. Until they’re about two years old, when the back molars grow in, your child will continue teething, so keep a look out for the symptoms.
Just like your adult dental insurance, your baby needs dental insurance, but why should they? Cavities can cause pain, difficulty eating and speaking, and infections that could damage permanent teeth. If the cavity is severe or left untreated, you may need to take your baby to the hospital, and that has financial and emotional effect on you. Having dental insurance for your baby can lessen that weight and make it more affordable for you.
Even before your child’s teeth come in, you need to be caring for their gums. This paves the road for good oral hygiene when their first tooth comes in. It also gets your baby used to brushing their teeth, when teeth finally grow in. If your baby doesn’t like you cleaning their gums, try singing a song or letting them play with a toy, so they can learn to get comfortable with brushing their gums and teeth.
The first two years of your child’s life is the most crucial, so make sure you go to the doctor when you’re supposed to or when needed.
Right after birth, the nurses and doctors will look for healthiness, normal body function, newborn reflexes, skin tone, alertness, and hip stability. They will take measurements and perform a hearing screening to check your child’s hearing. They will also perform a newborn metabolic/hemoglobin screening and give your child an immunization shot. The first check up you need to make comes three to five days after birth.
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a dental home as “the ongoing relationship between the dentist and the patient, inclusive of all aspects of oral health care delivered in a comprehensive, continuously accessible, coordinated, and family-centered way.” But what does that mean? Well, it means that a dental home is almost the same thing as your average dentist. But there’s a couple more benefits of a dental home:
The AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) updated their guidelines on sedation in 2019. The guidelines state that there will always be at least two people in the room who are trained to provide advanced life support measures in case there are any problems. One of the people in the room will be the dentist performing the procedure. The other will be an independent observer who must be a trained anesthesiologist or a trained pediatric dentist.
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Baby bottle tooth decay is the severe decay of the baby teeth of infants and young children. It occurs with the frequent and prolonged exposure to drinks that contain sugar (this includes natural sugars found in breast milk, formula, soda, and fruit juices). The sugar in these liquids coats your child’s teeth and turns into acid. The acid attacks the enamel on the teeth. This causes your child to get cavities.
Most people understand the importance of keeping your teeth healthy. It prevents cavities and helps keep your teeth in your mouth for years to come. Here are some tips to help your child keep up with their dental health.
Being a new parent presents many challenges, from feeding to changing to healthcare, and even oral care. There’s a lot to learn, and it’s okay to ask questions along the way. While you may not always be able to turn to a grandparent or partner for advice, you can always turn to a professional for information on your child’s needs. Your child’s pediatric dentist can answer quite a lot for you, and they likely know what you may have questions about. Here are a few questions that might come up on (or before) your first visit to the pediatric dentist.
