Your baby’s milk teeth have a lot of purpose—they’re used for chewing, holding space in the mouth, and keeping the tooth fairy employed! There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the importance of baby teeth, or milk teeth, and multiple online articles waiting to feed you myths about your baby’s teeth. Knowing the truth about your child’s teeth can help you provide the best oral health for them!
#1: Kids Should Brush Their Own Teeth
You should begin brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they appear. Since children are not as effective at reaching back teeth, it’s a great idea to help them until they are able to do it themselves. This implements good dental habits and prevents tooth decay.
#2: Juice Is a Nutritious Choice
Kids love juice, because it’s sweet and has variety, unlike water. Is it really the healthy choice, though? Dentists around the country in unison say: no. Fruit juice has the word “fruit” in it, but it has a very high SUGAR content. Giving your child drinks like this can make them susceptible to tooth decay. However, this does not mean your child can’t have juice—just make sure any consumption of juice, milk, or soda happens within a 20 to 30 minute time period. Doing this can help reduce the amount of acid building up on your child’s teeth.
For healthy snack choices, we recommend: yogurt, cheese, apples, and carrots, to name a few.
#3: Baby Teeth are Not Important Because They Are Temporary
Despite their temporary appearance, milk teeth hold a high significance when it comes to your child’s mouth, and future adult teeth. If a child’s tooth gets an infection, it can affect the teeth growing underneath and cause pain and swelling. From ages 12-13 temporary teeth are needed to hold space within their mouths to prevent their six-year molars from moving forward and blocking other adult teeth.
All in all, if your child’s baby teeth are healthy, chances are their adult teeth will be as well. Good dental habits created in childhood will likely carry into adulthood!
#4: It’s Most Important for My Child to Brush Their Teeth in the Morning
Brushing teeth twice a day is still important, but brushing your teeth before bed holds the utmost importance. The same is true for your children’s teeth. Do not let them eat or drink anything before bed, except for water. Food sitting on their teeth all night is the perfect ecosystem for bacteria to grow and cavities to form.
#5 Don’t Let Your Child Chew Gum
As long as the gum is sugar-free, it’s okay for your child to chew gum. Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, and is a great way to get food out of your teeth. It also has antibacterial properties, which is all the more reason to let your child chew gum!
Visiting the dentist on a regular basis ensures your child’s smile will stay shining year round. Contact us today for an appointment!