5 Facts About Children’s Dental Health Every Parent Should Know

Like with most things in parenting, your child’s smile doesn’t come with a guidebook! As such, it can be a little scary not knowing what to expect as their teeth, jaws, and mouth grow. Thankfully, there’s no reason to feel stressed about your child’s oral development. Your Fort Worth children’s dentist has the training and experience needed to make sure your little one’s precious smile stays on track and healthy. Read on as they reveal five facts about children’s dentistry that every parent should know about their child’s teeth!

1.) Baby Teeth Come in & Fall Out on a Timeline

Baby teeth don’t come in and fall out at random times: they typically follow a general timeline. Usually, the first teeth to come in are the lower front teeth around the age of six months old. The last ones to come in are almost always the second molars. Then, you can expect the baby teeth to fall out between the ages of 6 and 13 in generally the same order that they came in.

2.) Kids Should Visit the Dentist By Their First Birthday

Many parents are surprised to hear that the American Dental Association recommends children get their first dental checkup by the time they are one year old. While this may seem early, it gives your children’s dentist the best chances to spot and stop oral development issues as early as possible and prevent severe problems in the future.

3.) Tooth Decay Is the Number One Most Common Childhood Disease

According to the CDC, tooth decay in children is five times more common than childhood asthma and 20 times more common than childhood diabetes. It’s cited as the number one most common childhood disease. Baby teeth have thinner enamel than adult teeth, and this combined with sugary treats and lacking dental habits puts children at a much higher risk of cavities. That’s one of many reasons why early dental care is so important!

4.) Baby Bottle Tooth Decay Is a Serious Threat

Putting an infant to bed with a bottle of milk, formula, or juice dramatically increases their risk of cavities. These sugary liquids will pool around their teeth as they sleep, fueling cavity-causing bacteria to burn through the delicate enamel. The longer your baby sips on anything that isn’t water, the more likely they are to develop cavities.

5.) Not All Juice is a Healthy Choice

Candy isn’t the only culprit of cavities in children by far. While juice may seem like a healthy choice, many products claiming to be fruit juice are actually sugary, watered-down blends of juice that offer very little nutrition. Even 100% fruit juice can be problematic! Studies show that a single glass of apple juice has as much sugar as a can of soda. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 6 ounces of juice a day for kids between the ages of 1 and 6.

There’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to the oral healthcare needs of your child’s smile. Make keeping that precious smile healthy easier by visiting your children’s dentist in Fort Worth every six months!

About the Practice

Renaissance Dental is proud to serve smiles of all ages in Fort Worth and the surrounding communities. Thanks to the combined talent and experience of Drs. Duong, Kuan, and Pham, we offer a wide array of services in our family-friendly office, including treatments specialized for children. And with evening and Saturday appointments available, we go above and beyond to make achieving and maintaining optimal oral health for life as easy as possible! If you’re looking for a dentist for your child, don’t hesitate to contact us online or at (817) 289-5200.