Caring for Your Infant's Dental Health

Your infant’s first teeth would start to appear around six to twelve months of age. Primary teeth are essential even though they fall out within a few years and get replaced by a full set of permanent teeth. If baby teeth are taken proper care of, then they can set the stage for excellent oral and overall health. As soon as the baby teeth start to appear, the infant’s nutritional needs would change too. 

When should you introduce your baby to soft and solid foods?

At six to eight months, when the baby begins to chew, introduce your child to strained or pureed fruits and vegetables. The child’s ability to chew would start to progress through twelve months of age; you can add cereal, bread, cooked meats, and other adult foods to their nutritious diet.

Even though baby teeth will fall out for sure and get replaced by permanent teeth, protecting the baby teeth play an essential role by providing benefits in the future. Baby teeth act as placeholders for permanent teeth because if they get decayed and fall out soon, then the permanent teeth that erupt in the future, are more likely to be crooked.

How can you take care of your child’s baby teeth?

You can take care of your child’s baby teeth by following these simple steps:

• Don’t let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in the mouth. While sleeping, the lactose sugar component found in baby formula accumulates on the teeth, making them prone to decay.
• Start cleaning your baby’s teeth with a damp cloth as soon as they begin to erupt.

When can you expect baby teeth to fall out?

Baby teeth are expected to stay in your child’s mouth until the permanent teeth are ready to take its place. Sometimes, the primary tooth gets knocked out accidentally or gets removed due to decay. In such scenario, teeth present on either side of the gap might push into the open space. This can make it harder for the permanent tooth, as there may not be enough room for it to erupt when it is finally ready. Sometimes your child might require a “space maintainer” to be placed on the neighboring teeth.

When should you bring your baby for their first dental visit? 

It is recommended to take your child for their first dental visit within six months of the first tooth eruption, or at the latest by 12 months. 

Call us or schedule an online appointment with Dr. Balakrishna for a consultation at our locations in San Ramon or Livermore, CA.