The Virtual ToothFairy talks about baby teeth!
Babies start teething anywhere from 6 months to a year. A child's mouth has 20 teeth, also called primary teeth, baby teeth, or deciduous teeth. These include four (4) second molars, four (4) first molars, four (4)canines, four (4) lateral incisors, and finally four (4) central incisors. Ten(10) teeth on top, ten (10) teeth on bottom= 20!
Every child is different and unique, and so is their teething process! The first teeth usually begin to break through the gums around6 months of age. Typically, the first two teeth to pop out are the two bottom central incisors (the two bottom front teeth). Then, the top four front teeth appear. Slowly but surely the other teeth slowly begin to fill in until all 20 teeth(10 in the upper jaw and 10 in the lower jaw) are present. By the time your child is 2 ½ to 3 years old, they should have a full smile.
This shouldn’t be a surprise, but just in case: brush your child’s teeth twice a day! The Virtual ToothFairy’s favorite number is 2 because you should always brush teeth twice (2) a day, for two (2) minutes, and see a dentist twice (2) a year! So, if you ever forget, just remember the number TWO. 😊
Don’t get it twisted… Yes, these teeth will eventually fallout, but your child will be using these teeth for years! In fact, baby teeth start falling out around the age of 5, and the health of their permanent teeth is directly dependent on the health of their baby teeth. Decay and infection in your child’s baby teeth can cause damage to their permanent teeth that are developing beneath them.
Rule of thumb: children should go see a dentist 6 months after their first tooth comes in, which is around their 1-year birthday. And yes, they should visit the dentist every six (6) months, or twice a year.
Read more on permanent teeth in our next blog post! Don’t forget to smile!
TF
