The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth

When your baby starts cutting teeth, you need to start thinking about planning their first dental appointment with a children's dental care specialist; your child needs to see the dentist as soon as they get their first tooth. The reason why is simple: dental disease is the most common chronic illness of childhood and can be prevented by early intervention.

Here are signs your baby needs to see a children's dental care specialist. The sooner you can have your child treated for cavities and gum issues, the better your child's oral health issues can be addressed safely and comfortably.

Your baby fusses with all brushing attempts

If your little one is resisting all the efforts you're putting into brushing their teeth or gums, then make an appointment with their children's dental care specialist to get advice for proper dental hygiene. Your child may need special gum cleaning tools or a softer toothbrush to make the oral cleaning easier for them.

There are modern or alternative versions of toothbrushes for kids to use. Consider a mouth guard toothbrush for your baby to use or a finger toothbrush that is mainly for gums to allow your little one to get the dental care they need.

Your baby is not getting any teeth

Your baby should have their first tooth by six months of age, although not all babies follow this rule. If your baby does not have any teeth by this age or does not appear to be getting any teeth at all — their gums have not started to split or soften, or they are not showing any signs of teething — visit your local pediatric dental clinic for advice. It could be that your baby is just a late bloomer with teething, which can be more likely if you or the other parent were also late in getting teeth.

A visit to your baby's pediatric dental care specialist will determine why your baby is slow to get their teeth. X-rays will show the tops of teeth underneath the gum line, giving you and your child's dental care specialist a better idea as to what is causing your child's tooth eruption delay and what interventions may be needed. In some cases, your baby's gums may be split to help teeth come in, although this is not always done. Your child's dentist will give you a timeline for when your baby's teeth can be expected to come in so you can prepare.

For more information, contact a clinic like Dentistry For Children & Adolescents.