Child Dentistry

The first baby teeth that come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth. You will notice this when your baby is about six to eight months old. Next to follow will be the four upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby’s teeth will appear periodically. They will usually appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about two and a half years old.

At around two and a half years old your child should have all twenty teeth. Between the ages of five and six the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don’t. Don’t worry if some teeth are a few months early or late, as all children are different.

Primary teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth, but they are important to chewing, biting, speech and appearance. For this reason it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.

Your child’s first “regular” visit to the dentist should occur between the ages of two and three, but bringing them along for other your own appointments may be beneficial prior to that age. This helps familiarize them with the office and staff, normalizes the visits, and reduces the likelihood that their regular visits will be a negative experience.

At your child’s first visit, he or she may sit in the chair (on your lap or alone, depending on the child’s level of independence), Dr. Sala will “count” and examine his or her teeth, a cleaning may be done if the child is willing, we will explain the cleaning process in child-friendly terms, and we will give you suggestions on how to improve or maintain your child’s oral hygiene.