February is National Children's Dental Health month and for the next four weeks we will visit topics beginning with the development of baby teeth, to maintaining a healthy smile, through when they are replaced by permanent teeth.  

Your child should have their mouth and teeth examined by a pediatrician or dentist by their first birthday.  As more teeth erupt, their dentist will review tips on eating frequency, oral hygiene, and trauma care in addition to monitoring for cavities.

There is a wide range of ages when baby teeth begin to emerge.  On average they start showing up around 6 months, however in some cases children can be born with teeth already visible in the mouth.  

If your child is significantly early or late in getting their first baby teeth, do not be alarmed.  A simple rule of thumb is that baby teeth will first emerge in the front of the mouth.  

Following sets will appear towards the back in several month intervals.  Often children are approximately 2 1/2 before they receive their second set of molars in the back.  Overall there should be 20 baby teeth.  The tooth fairy starts to visit around 6 years of age.  Surprisingly, we keep some of our baby teeth until we are approximately 12 years old.  

In some cases, there is a family history of missing or extra teeth.  Using x-rays, your child's dentist will not only monitor the teeth that are visible, but can also monitor ones that may not have appeared.  

As teeth erupt into the mouth, the gums often bulge, almost as if they are swelling.  There may be some bruising associated with the eruption as well.  There is no treatment for this other than normal teething pressure and good oral hygiene.  Various forms of teething devices are available.  The most important qualities in a teething ring are flexibility and durability.  If refrigerating the device, be certain that the product can handle temperatures as low as freezing.  Other than teething devices, good oral hygiene will help decrease teething discomfort.  A teething child can experience increased drooling and in some cases have a mild fever and diarrhea.  You can obtain some relief by administering infant's ibuprofen when the discomfort is at its worst.  

Many times parents will ask if we can fix their child's smile because there are too many spaces.  Spacing is beneficial for two main reasons.  First of all, I have come to grips with the understanding that not everyone loves to floss.  As long as a child has space in between their teeth, flossing isn't currently needed.  However, don't assume your child will never have to floss.  As soon as the spaces close, your child does need to have their teeth flossed daily.  Secondly, when the permanent teeth begin to erupt, they have a much larger size than baby teeth.  The spacing in the front of the mouth helps accommodate the larger permanent teeth.

Often children, especially while they only have baby teeth, have a tendency to grind their teeth.  This is a common occurrence and rarely is treatment indicated.  

In many cases the kids will have noticeable wear especially on their front teeth.  The good news is that they rarely have sensitivity or other problems from this.  In most cases, children outgrow the grinding process shortly after the permanent teeth begin to show.

 Also, baby teeth consistently have a whiter shade than their permanent replacements.  This will not be as noticeable when your child has all of their permanent teeth in.  

Next week, 'Brush'em if you got'em'

(Dr. Will of Kids Teeth is the local chair for National Children's Dental HealthMonth. He practices at both Kids Teeth offices.)