Written by Donna Pleis for Colgate.com Even though the primary dentition (commonly known as baby teeth) are temporary, it's important to realize how essential they are to the eventual eruption of your child's permanent teeth. Baby teeth play a crucial role in helping kids learn to speak and chew food for nourishment, but they also save space for their adult teeth. This is why, if your child has a badly decayed primary tooth, a stainless steel crown may be the best solution. L

From our friends @ Delta Dental of Oklahoma Your baby’s first tooth is a major milestone in growth and development. As parents, we cherish those first toothy smiles. Following good oral hygiene habits and visiting a dentist regularly will help ensure that your child has a healthy smile for years to come. Baby’s First Teeth It’s never too early to begin good brushing habits. You can start by wiping your baby’s gums after each feeding. Once your baby’s first tooth comes in, beg

After the age of six or so, deciduous teeth – also known as baby or primary teeth – fall out and are replaced by the permanent teeth. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), baby teeth will start showing up in a child's mouth starting around the age of six months and continuing until he or she is about six years old. The baby teeth play an important role in helping a child learn to chew and speak, and they also serve as placeholders, saving the spot for the perman

When do baby teeth start to come in? Baby teeth can start coming in as early as five months. By one year, a child typically has six baby teeth: usually the top four front teeth, and the bottom two front teeth. By three years old, children should have all 20 of their baby teeth. Some children are actually born with teeth. We call them natal teeth, or milking teeth. In fact, in my residency I was called to the hospital to evaluate a 12-hour old child with multiple teeth. Becaus

Tips on weaning your child from the pacifier, including different approaches that can reduce stress for both kids and parents when trying to “ban the binky!” By AAPD President Dr. Ed Moody Many parents are thankful for the invention of pacifiers that can help calm and soothe fussy babies. Infants often use a pacifier or suck on a thumb for comfort, security or simply as a method to make contact with the world. In fact, some babies begin to suck on their fingers or thumbs even

If your little one's teeth have begun to fall out, and their permanent replacements appear to be lagging far behind, you may wish to consider a space maintainer to minimize future orthodontic work. Believe it or not, the absence of your child's teeth might seem cute now, but those tiny little gaps can cause deep gouges in your pocketbook as you watch them fill up with teeth that don't belong there. Space maintainers are simple to use, kids get along fine with them, and they h

​ While the arrival of your little one’s teeth might seem like a scattered and chaotic experience with very little in the way of predictable outcomes, there is a method to the madness! So, let’s find out which teeth come in when with this handy-dandy tooth eruption guide -- courtesy of the American Dental Association. With both the primary and permanent teeth eruption guides below, our journey through the mouth begins with our “front teeth” (the central incisors), and move