88 JADA 143(1) http://jada.ada.org January 2012

F O R T H E D E N T A L P A T I E N T . . .

Your child’sgrowing smile

Even before you can see them, your child’steeth have begun to form under the gin-givae (gums). As early as six monthsafter your baby is born, you may begin to

see the first teeth erupt. And that’s just thestart of a lifelong smile.

CARING FOR PRIMARY TEETHThe first set of teeth, called “primary” teeth(often referred to as “baby” teeth), are importantand should be cared for. These teeth not onlyhelp your baby chew and eventually speak, butalso they help the jaw develop and save room forthe permanent teeth, which start to come in atabout the age of 6 or 7 years. Because the gumscan become sore as the teeth are coming intoplace, your baby may be uncomfortable andfussy. You might try rubbing the gums gentlywith your finger or giving the baby a coolteething ring on which to chew. Teething gelsalso are available. (Note: The U.S. Food andDrug Administration1 advises that products con-taining benzocaine should not be used for chil-dren younger than 2 years except under theadvice and supervision of a health care profes-sional.) Talk with your dentist about other waysto make your child more comfortable.

As with adult teeth and gums, your baby’steeth and gums should be cleaned. To famil-iarize your baby with this, wipe his or her gumswith a moist, soft cloth or piece of gauze afterevery meal. As soon as the first tooth comes intoplace, start brushing with a soft-bristle tooth-brush designed for babies. Use water ratherthan a fluoride toothpaste for children youngerthan 2 years, unless a health care professionalrecommends fluoride. Once the child is able tospit, he or she may be ready to brush his or herown teeth by using a pea-sized amount of fluo-ride toothpaste while you supervise. Have thechild spit out the toothpaste.

Caries (tooth decay) can develop in a baby’steeth. For this reason, you should limit the time during which teeth are exposed to drinkscontaining sugar—such as juice, formula or even milk—which can encourage caries develop-ment. Never put your child to bed with a bot-tle or “sippy” cup containing these liquids. Like-wise, don’t dip your child’s pacifier in honey

or any other sweetener.The American Dental Association recom-

mends that you bring your baby to the dentistafter the first tooth comes in and no later thanthe child’s first birthday. This is known as a“well-baby checkup.” It allows your dentist tocheck for tooth decay and other things that mayaffect the teeth, including habits such as thumbsucking. He or she also can show you how toclean your baby’s teeth properly.

CARING FOR PERMANENT TEETHThe permanent teeth should start eruptingwhen your child is 6 or 7 years old and will con-tinue to erupt throughout the teenage years andpossibly even during early adult years. Brush -ing twice a day with a fluoride-containing tooth-paste and cleaning between the teeth once dailywith floss or another interdental cleaner will beimportant habits to adopt. Limiting snacks andsugary foods and drinks also will go a long waytoward keeping the teeth healthy.

Regular dental checkups are essential. Theyenable your dentist to identify problems, suchas caries, and begin treatment as soon as pos-sible. They also allow for professional cleaningsand fluoride applications that will keep theteeth strong. Your dentist may apply dentalsealants to the chewing surfaces of your child’sback teeth to offer further protection againstcaries. These chewing surfaces have deep pitsand grooves in which food and plaque can buildup and destroy the enamel surface of yourchild’s teeth.

Caring for your child’s mouth, even beforeyou can see his or her teeth, is key to good oralhealth. Talk with your dentist about ways togive your child a healthy smile for life. ■

Prepared by the American Dental Association (ADA) Division ofScience. Copyright © 2012 American Dental Association. Unlikeother portions of JADA, the print version of this page may be clippedand photocopied as a handout for patients without reprint permis-sion from the ADA Publishing Division. Any other use, copying ordistribution of this material, whether in printed or electronic formand including the copying and posting of this material on a Web site,is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of the ADA Pub-lishing Division.

“For the Dental Patient” provides general information on dentaltreatments to dental patients. It is designed to prompt discussionbetween dentist and patient about treatment options and does notsubstitute for the dentist’s professional assessment based on theindividual patient’s needs and desires.

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Benzocaine topical prod-ucts: sprays, gels and liquids—risk of methemoglobinemia.“www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch/safetyinformation/safetyalertsforhumanmedicalproducts/ucm250264.htm”. AccessedNov. 28, 2011.

Copyright © 2012 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.