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Our Armadale dentist highlights children’s dental milestones

Family dentist Armadale
Your child’s firsts…first steps, first words, and their first teeth are all important milestones! Every child reaches developmental milestones at different ages. Dental developmental milestones come about at their own unique pace. It is very important to track these events to understand how your child is growing. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that tracking your child\’s milestones helps you to determine their ability to speak, learn, and behave. This week, we take a look at some of the most important dental developmental milestones for your children. If you or your child is experiencing any concerning oral pain, call our emergency dentist in Armadale now for immediate advice and support.

Why is it important to understand development milestones in children?

A parent\’s understanding of their child\’s dental milestones is essential to keep their teeth and gums healthy and protected against infections, cavities, and pain. This is why it is best to start introducing cleaning techniques and implementing good oral health care habits when they first start to grow baby teeth. The overall condition of your child\’s oral health affects their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. You may not realise its effects as early as today, but oral health can bring about other issues throughout the entire body. This is called the mouth-body connection. A lot of research has gone into linking gum and teeth issues with whole-of-body illnesses and conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, and some respiratory conditions. Here are some more reasons why you should track developmental milestones in your children and have a dentist provide them various dental treatments throughout these stages.

1. Protects your child from oral health complications in the future

Poor dental care habits can have long-term and damaging effects on your child\’s health. Early habits include brushing, flossing, and regular dental checkups; help instill these habits early on to protect teeth from gum disease, pain, and tooth decay.

At what age should I take my child to the dentist?

The rule of thumb is that once your child\’s first tooth erupts, you should schedule their first trip to the dentist (and no later than their first birthday). Introducing them to a dentist early on can also help reduce the chances that your child will develop a fear of the dentist. From their very first appointment, your child has an idea of what to expect at each dentist visit. Monitoring your child\’s oral milestones is essential in maintaining their healthy teeth and gums which can protect them from oral health complications in the future.

2. Teaches them good habits

Teaching your child to practice good oral hygiene promotes lifelong oral health standards. Practising basic yet important oral health habits will help them carry these habits through to adulthood. From the moment you slowly start introducing brushing using a soft, child-friendly toothbrush, you’re instilling good habits. Slowly but surely, you can introduce independent care, so they can learn to take ownership of brushing and flossing as they grow older.

3. Prepares them for permanent tooth growth

At Dental Care Group, we like to think of baby teeth as a set of ‘living’ braces, making room for permanent teeth. As such, they are still important in a child’s overall health and oral development, despite the fact they will all fall out!   Armadale

What are the key dental milestones in child development?

Most parents no doubt remember the moment they first saw their precious baby’s first tooth emerge! It’s one exciting milestone that comes with parenthood. Additionally, it\’s the first of a few key dental milestones that your local dentist will want to know about, too.

Stage 1: Teething

The first tooth (and subsequent teething) usually starts when baby is around 4-7 months. Their bottom front teeth usually come out first, followed by their top front teeth. Teething isn\’t a comfortable experience for kids as they may feel pain, irritability, and itching in the process. Most of the time, children who experience teething will have a hard time eating and sleeping because of this unprecedented discomfort. Signs your baby is teething include:
  • Disrupted sleep
  • Swelling or inflammation of the gums
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fever
  • Diarrhea
  • Increase in biting and rubbing of gums

Stage 2: Thumb sucking

During teething, thumb-sucking is one way that kids can relieve some of the associated pain, but it can be a tricky habit to deal with as a parent. And for good reason: thumb-sucking can affect a child’s palate and jaw development. This is why monitoring this habit is very important to your child\’s dental structure.

Stage 3: Losing baby teeth

By the age of five or six, your child will start to lose their baby teeth, paving the way for permanent teeth to erupt and take their final spot. The season of falling teeth comes naturally and for the most part, is painless. However, some mild discomfort is normal.

Stage 4: Eruption of wisdom teeth

The final dental milestone that many teens or young adults go through is the eruption of their wisdom teeth. This usually happens between the ages of 18-25. Wisdom teeth appear at the back of the molars, and in such cases where there is no room to accommodate them, they usually overcrowd the mouth, causing discomfort and pain. It’s estimated that the vast majority of the population will need to have their wisdom teeth removed.

Find out more about your child\’s dental care milestones

Visit a family dentist in Armadale today!

Every parent needs to understand their child\’s oral development milestones to better prepare them for a lifetime of good oral health. From the time your child\’s first baby tooth erupts, you need to schedule your child\’s first dental visit. You can be sure that our family dentist in Armadale will make every effort to provide you with a caring and gentle approach when supporting not only kids, but adults of all ages, too! Using modern technology and advanced dental techniques, we can help you alleviate any pain, anxiety, and discomfort. We offer a range of dental treatments, including dental crowns and teeth whitening in Armadale. Call Dental Care Group today on (03) 9509 1500, or click here to make a booking online.

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If you have any questions, please feel free to fill out the form below or give us a call. Our friendly and experienced team look forward to hearing from you!

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