Good dental habits start young. But how young? Do you think your baby needs dental care? Take the quiz below and find out.
True Or False:
- Children need dental care as early as 12 months of age.
- Primary (baby) teeth cannot decay.
- You don’t have to worry about your child’s teeth until the first one erupts.
- You should clean your child’s teeth with fluoridated toothpaste, no matter how young.
- Parents whose children ingest a high amount of sugary substances, take their children to the dentist more often.
Answers:
- True: Dental care should begin before your baby’s first birthday. Your child’s primary teeth are already developed at birth. They are just waiting to erupt.
- False: Your child’s baby teeth can decay. Babies who sleep with the bottle often fall asleep with it in their mouth. These children are prone to bottle mouth. The sugars in milk and juice, and the acidity of fruit juices, remain on their teeth throughout the night, wearing away the enamel and causing decay. Primary tooth decay can cause painful cavities. If you notice your child’s teeth becoming discolored, pocked, or pitted, they may be developing bottle mouth. If your child’s primary teeth are severely decayed, the dentist may opt to remove them.
- False: You can begin to care for your child’s teeth before the first one erupts. Break your child from taking the bottle to bed. At six months of age give your child water that contains fluoride. Many bottled waters do not. Wipe your baby’s gums down at least once a day with a clean, damp, soft cloth. When your child’s first tooth does erupt, brush with a soft-bristled, baby toothbrush, or continue to clean with a damp cloth when wiping down your child’s gums.
- False: Research has shown that children under the age of three should use non-fluoridated toothpaste because of their inability to spit, and their tendency to swallow it.
- False: A recent study showed the odds of children never having seen a dentist increased 20% with each cup of sweetened drinks they consumed daily.
About Your Ankeny Dentist
Dr. Peddicord offers a complete range of preventative, cosmetic, and restorative dental procedures as well as high quality dental prosthetics. If you have questions regarding the effects of sugar on your baby’s primary teeth, Dr. Peddicord can answer your questions and provide the services your child needs. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Erika Peddicord, please contact us at 515-963-3339. Our Ankeny, IA, office proudly provides general and cosmetic dentistry services to patients from Bondurant, Polk City, Elkhart, Alleman, and Cambridge.