If the lateral incisors of your child have not yet emerged after 10 months, rest assured that they will be visible at 16 months. These will be followed by the first molars at 14 to 18 months and by the canines at 17 to 23 months. By age three all of your child’s teeth will have emerged, and by five his milk teeth will start giving way to his permanent teeth. As mentioned on my previous article, milk teeth are very important.
Good oral hygiene in children older than one year old is definitely harder. This is because he has more emerging teeth and teething may be a little more intense. Your baby also eats more at this age, and if you do not regulate what he eats, he may develop a liking to sweets and candies that may be difficult to control when he gets older.
How to help your toddler brush his teeth?
Dentists recommend that adult supervise their children when they brush their teeth – until they are about six year of age. By age six, a child fully understands the brushing technique and has total control over the toothbrush. Although he may be already know how to spit and not to treat toothpaste like candy at age four or five, he may still have to be supervised by an adult to ensure that he cleans his teeth thoroughly.
Brush your child’s teeth a least twice a day. Make sure that his toothbrush has soft bristles, and that his toothpaste contains fluoride. It may be difficult to convince him to brush but he will get used to it.
How to help your toddler avoid cavities and dental infections?
Now that your child’s teeth are all coming out, you should instill in your child discipline when it comes to gum and tooth care.
- If he is scared of brushing her teeth, try making it a habit brush before her so that he will see that brushing his teeth is not harmful.
- Use a toothbrush or toothpaste the he likes. Although this will involve trial and error, using a flavor your child loves with the toothpaste he fancies will not make brushing to difficult. Just make sure he does not treat the toothbrush or toothpaste like toys.
- Turning brushing into a game that he will enjoy can help her get more interested in brushing her teeth.
- Brush with a fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day or if possible after meals. Try to let him brush after he has eaten a log of sugary foods like candies and chocolates.
- Limit your child’s snacks. This will reduce the time his teeth will be exposed to sugars, which encourage the growth of cavity-causing bacteria.
- Try not to give your child chocolates or candies just because he asks for them. Do not fall into the habit of giving chocolates or candies as rewards for good behavior. He might get used to the sweets and they will be difficult to take away from him. Compliments and a pat on the back are better.
- Check your child’s teeth after brushing, sometimes brushing cannot completely remove the tartars, you can use clean cotton cloth to remove them, flossing is also recommended especially in areas that cannot be reached by toothbrush.
- Introduce your child to storybooks about caring for teeth.