Track These Important Dental Milestones For Your Child

As a parent, monitoring and keeping track of your child's dental health is essential. By staying on top of dental milestones, you can ensure your child's teeth are developing correctly and catch any potential issues early on. Here are some important dental milestones to track for your child.

Teething

The teething process usually starts when your child is around six months old. During this time, your child's first set of teeth, also known as baby teeth, will begin to emerge. Watching your child during this time is essential, as teething can cause discomfort and irritability. You can help alleviate the pain by giving your child a clean, cool object to chew on or rubbing their gums with a clean finger.

First Dental Visit

Your child's first dental visit should occur when their first tooth appears or by their first birthday. This visit is crucial because it allows the dentist to assess your child's dental health and identify potential issues. It also helps your child become familiar with the dental office and can help reduce any anxiety about going to the dentist in the future.

Loss of Baby Teeth

Around age six or seven, your child will begin to lose their baby teeth as their permanent teeth start to come in. This is a natural process, but keeping an eye on your child's teeth to ensure they come in properly is important. If you notice any issues, such as teeth coming in crooked or crowding, it's important to schedule a visit with the dentist to address the issue.

Orthodontic Evaluation

Around age seven or eight, your child should have an orthodontic evaluation. This evaluation will determine if your child will need braces or other orthodontic treatment to correct any issues with their bite or alignment. It's important to catch these issues early, as they can become more difficult to correct as your child ages.

Wisdom Teeth

Between the ages of 17 and 25, your child's wisdom teeth will start to emerge. This process can be uncomfortable and require extraction if the teeth are impacted or cause crowding. You must monitor your child's wisdom teeth and consult your dentist if you notice any issues.

Preventative Care

In addition to tracking these milestones, it's crucial to establish good dental habits early on. This includes regular brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings. Taking a preventative approach to dental care can help ensure that your child's teeth remain healthy and strong.

It's also important to be prepared for dental emergencies. While we hope that our children never experience a dental emergency, it's important to have a plan in place, just in case. This includes knowing where to find an emergency dentist near me and having their contact information readily available.

Conclusion

Tracking your child's dental milestones is vital to their health. Monitoring their teeth as they develop and establishing good dental habits early on can help your child maintain a healthy smile for years. And, in the event of a dental emergency, it's important to be prepared by knowing where to find an emergency dentist near me.