Children generally get their first teeth between 6 and 12 months old. The current recommendation is that children should be seen by their dentist as soon as they get their first teeth. We have found at Bowser Dental that the best time for a routine checkup and cleaning is when the child has developed communication skills and can interact with the staff and understand a little of what is happening, so it is not so scary. This is often around 2 1⁄2 years old. But if there are ever concerns the doctor will see the child of any age.
Just like your own, you should brush your child’s teeth two times a day. Research shows we need to brush our teeth every 12 hours to prevent cavities and gum disease and that bacteria start to form structure around the teeth and after 12 hours that structure absorbs enough minerals to harden. So, brushing 2x a day disturbs the bacteria structuring and keeps disease at bay.
Kids are like a sponge, learning what you teach them and what you do as parents and mentors. If infants start out brushing two times a day and flossing, they tend to retain that pattern and knowledge the rest of their life. This means you are helping them have nice, healthy teeth possibly forever! And you will reduce their chances of toothaches and pain throughout life. As children are learning, try to make brushing and flossing a fun event. They make fun toothbrushes that light up and play music. Those are often purposely timed to match the recommended 2 minutes that you should take to properly and thoroughly brush every tooth on all sides. Be sure to encourage them and tell them how clean their teeth are and how pretty and healthy they are.