Your child's baby teeth can have a huge effect on her future smiles.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Your child's baby teeth can have a
huge effect on her future smiles.

When your baby begins to smile, you will probably see an endearing toothless grin. However, within a few months, you will notice a glimmer of something white, or you may hear a clunk when the feeding spoon touches the first tooth.

By taking a few steps early in your baby's life, you can establish a pattern to help ensure that your baby continues to have a healthy smile throughout her life. In this article, we will show you how to care for your child's teeth over the course of the following sections:  

  • The Importance of Baby Teeth

    Because baby teeth are impermanent, many parents might make the mistake of under-valuing the importance of their child's baby teeth. On this page, we will attempt to show you why this would be a tragic disservice to your child. Baby teeth help with a variety of normal developmental functions ranging from getting proper nutrition to learning how to talk to the correct development of jaw and facial muscles. We will also tell you how baby teeth grow in and how long you can expect them to last.

  • How to Care for Baby Teeth

    As a parent, you will probably notice when your child's baby teeth start coming in. They may become excessively fussy, or whine, cry, or drool more than usual. These are normal signs of teething, and, though unpleasant, are all part of becoming a parent. Once your child's baby teeth have come in, however, you also have to learn how to take care of them. We will help you with this task on this page with some simple guidelines. In addition to tooth-care tips, we will also show you the benefits of fluoride.

  • Taking a Child to a Dentist

    Taking your child to the dentist for the first time can be a scary experience for both the child and the parent. On this page, we will give you some guidelines for your child's dental care that should give you some peace of mind. We will tell you when you should plan your first trip, how to prepare your child, and how to approach visits in the future.
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This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.