Children's Oral Health

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• QWhen should I begin flossing my child's teeth?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Begin using floss when your child's teeth begin to touch one another. Flossing helps prevent cavities between the teeth. The following are proper techniques in flossing your child's teeth:
  

  • Use about a foot and a half of floss. Wind most of it around the middle fingers of both hands. Hold the floss between the thumbs and forefingers. Use a gentle, back-and-forth motion to guide the floss between the teeth.
  • Curve the floss into a C-shape and guide it into the space between the gum and tooth until you feel resistance. Gently scrape the floss against the side of the tooth.
  • Repeat these steps on each tooth. Don't forget the backs of the last teeth in each corner of the mouth.

  Because flossing is a difficult skill to master, you should floss your child's teeth until he or she can do it alone. Every child is different, however. Your dentist and hygienist can show you how to floss.

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• QDo children need to floss their teeth?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  You should be flossing your child’s teeth as soon as he or she has any two teeth that touch. Cleaning between the teeth is important because it removes plaque where a toothbrush can’t reach. 
  
  Flossing demands more manual dexterity than very young children have, and children are not usually able to floss well until they are age 10 or 11, and even then they should be supervised. Ideally, an adult will brush and floss a child’s teeth until he or she is at least 6 years old.

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• QIf my child is going to lose his or her baby teeth, do cavities matter?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Your child's baby teeth are important. Children need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food, speak and have a good-looking smile. Baby teeth also keep a space in the jaw for the adult teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the teeth beside it may drift into the empty space. When it's time for the adult teeth to come in, there may not be enough room. This can make the teeth crooked or crowded.
  
  Starting infants off with good oral care can help protect their teeth for decades to come.

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• QHow should I brush my baby's teeth?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Even though your baby may not have any visible teeth, their 20 primary teeth are already present in the jaw. When your baby is a newborn, begin by wiping the gums with a clean, wet gauze pad or washcloth. After your child's teeth start to appear, brush them with a child's size toothbrush and plain water. At the direction of your dentist, some children under two may benefit from the use of fluoride toothpaste. Until your child is six or seven years old, continue to brush his or her teeth twice a day with a child’s size toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste and continue to assist with flossing as needed.

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• QShould I consult my child's doctor about teething?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Teething is a normal part of development but as their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual. Diarrhea, rashes and a fever are not normal for a teething baby. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.

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• QIs drooling a sign of teething?

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  A Dr. Mitzi Conover, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Teething is a process every infant goes through. A lot of parents think that their child is teething at about 4 months of age because they start to drool all the time. This is actually a normal finding in all 4-month-olds, with the average age of the actual tooth erupting at about 6 to 9 months of age. So drooling is not the best indicator of teething.
• QWhy is teething painful?

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  A Dr. Mitzi Conover, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  You will often see bulging of the gums at the site where your baby's tooth is going to erupt. You may see it one day, but not the next day, because the teeth actually go up and down underneath the gums several times before they pop through, which is why it is such a painful process for a lot of infants.
  
  

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• QIs there a safe pain reliever for teething?

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Some babies may have sore or tender gums when teeth begin to erupt. Gently rubbing your child’s gum with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon or a wet gauze pad can be soothing. A clean teething ring for your child to chew on may also help. Your dentist or pediatrician may recommend a pacifier, teething ring or a special “numbing” salve for the gums.
  
  As their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual. Diarrhea, rashes and a fever are not normal for a teething baby. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.

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• QWhen should I start brushing my child's teeth?

  4 Answers

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  A American Dental Association answered

  Begin brushing your child's teeth with a little water as soon as the first tooth appears. If you are considering using toothpaste before the child is 2 years of age, ask your dentist or physician first.

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