Caring for Children's Teeth
Eruption of baby teeth
- Central incisor – 6 months
- Lateral incisor – 9 months
- Canine – 18 months
- First molar – 12 months
- Second molar – 24 months
Eruption of adult teeth
- Central incisor – 6-7 years
- Lateral incisor – 7-8 years
- Canine – 9-10 years
- First premolar – 10-12 years
- Second premolar – 11-12 years
- First molar – 6-7 years
- Second molar – 12-13 years
- Third molar / wisdom tooth – 18-21 years
When to start brushing?
A daily brushing routine is essential as soon as your baby's teeth emerge.
Babies without teeth: wipe gums with gauze or damp washcloth once a day to remove any plaque or debris.
When teeth start to appear: brush teeth gently with a children's soft toothbrush with water or low fluoride toothpaste.
When to start using toothpaste?
Your child needs to be of an age where sucking or swallowing the toothpaste has ceased.
When too much fluoridated toothpaste is ingested it may cause brown spots on the child's adult teeth.
It is best to start your child off on a low fluoride toothpaste
When to start flossing?
At approximately 18 months to 2 years of age, your child's baby teeth will come into contact. Flossing is required to clean in between the teeth where the toothbrush can not longer reach.
Supervision
Supervise your children's oral health habits up to the age 8 or 9 or until you see that they're brushing perfectly on a day-to-day basis.
Before the age of 2, children do not have the dexterity or coordination to brush their teeth properly.
Visits to the dentist
Children should start the habit of seeing the dentist at a young age to promote a positive and familiar environment for future visits.
For children, it is recommended that the first dental visit is between 12 to 18 months of age, but if there are any concerns with the children's teeth they should come in sooner.