Pediatric dentistry has two main components: preventative care at the dental practice and preventative care at home. As infant and toddler tooth decay has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, good dental oral care is essential to prevent that.
The first baby teeth that come into the mouth are the two bottom front teeth around 6-8 months old. Next to follow will be the 4 upper front teeth and the remainder of your baby’s teeth will appear in pairs along the sides of the jaw until the child is about 2 1/2 years old.
At around 2 1/2 years old your child should have all 20 teeth. Between the ages of 5 and 6, the first permanent teeth will begin to erupt. Some of the permanent teeth replace baby teeth and some don’t. Don’t worry if some teeth are a few months early or late as all children are different. Baby teeth are important as they not only hold space for permanent teeth but they are important to chewing, biting, speech and appearance. For this reason, it is important to maintain a healthy diet and daily hygiene.