Dental Milestones for Kids

Dr. Egger treats lots of Mt. Pleasant kids. He actually has a few patients where he is caring for the teeth of three generations. So, he has extensive experience with children’s teeth and how to keep them their healthiest.

Along those lines, it’s important for parents to keep an eye on their children’s teeth. Here are some milestones that the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends monitoring when it comes to your kids’ teeth.

Baby teeth eruption

Although not quite like the volcano erupting in Hawaii, tooth eruption is an important time for your child. Even before they erupt, the primary (baby) teeth are completing their formation in your infant’s jaw. According to the ADA, dental care should begin as soon as the first tooth erupts with a trip to Dr. Egger. And don’t think baby teeth don’t matter and don’t merit attention. Their job is to hold space for the permanent teeth.

Home hygiene, bottles, thumb sucking

Once the baby teeth are in, they need to be protected to keep them in. Seeing Dr. Egger regularly allows him to keep track of the development of the baby teeth, including any abnormalities or early problems. You need to monitor:

• Brushing and flossing (yes, flossing)— Start your kids down the path of good home hygiene and they’ll practice it their entire life. Bad hygiene = a lifetime of dental problems and procedures.
• Thumb sucking/pacifier sucking— This can’t go on forever. Usually before they enter preschool kids should be ditching the thumb or pacifier. Dr. Egger can tell you if their thumb sucking is causing alignment problems.
• Nutrition, bottle use— Bottles in the crib with sugary juices are a no-no. Your baby can fall asleep with the bottle in his mouth, complete with its sugary contents.
• Fluoride treatments— Dr. Egger provides fluoride varnishes and dental sealants for his younger patients to help protect their teeth.

Teen hygiene, braces, and wisdom teeth

As your kids enter their teenage years, you need to keep monitoring their home hygiene. Teens can be notoriously lackadaisical about the quality of their home oral care. That could be why many a teen has pretty bad breath most of the time (although part of that is also due to hormones). Teens and braces go together in many cases. Dr. Egger doesn’t provide orthodontics, but he can keep track to see if your teen’s teeth will need them.

And then comes the final rite of teenage passage — wisdom teeth extraction. Virtually all wisdom teeth will need to be removed. This third set of molars is a leftover of our caveman past and there just isn’t room in the modern human mouth for these extra four teeth. Dr. Egger can track their progress on x-rays, and he will tell you when it’s time to see an oral surgeon.

The most important thing you can do for the health of your children’s teeth is to book your twice-yearly professional exams and cleanings with Dr. Egger. Is it time to do so now? Call us at (989) 773-3560 to make your appointment.