Healthy teeth means a healthy body. Apart from lending a good appearance, teeth are essential for normal growth, as growth depends on well-chewed food. Milk teeth cut between the age of six months to two and a half years. They are twenty in number.
Formation of permanent teeth begins from the first year of birth and continues upto eight and a half years of age. They start to erupt from the sixth year (when the first permanent molar appears) upto the age of twelve years.
Permanent teeth are twenty-eight in number. The third molars (wisdom teeth) may appear any time between eighteen to sixty years of age. They may or may not be present in an individual's mouth. At times only two out of four may erupt.
Care should be taken to look after baby's teeth formation by giving calcium, iron, vitamins A and D and fruit juices. Good intake of milk and calcium goes a long way towards ensuring the development of healthy teeth in the children.
Teething baby should be given rusks to chew to facilitate cutting of teeth. Regular brushing should start when the child attains the age of two years.
Permanent teeth begin erupting about the age of six years. The child's first permanent teeth are the first molars. These are immediately behind the last milk teeth. Parents often neglect these teeth mistaking them to be milk teeth. As a result these molars are often lost due to decay.
It is important for parents to pay very close attention when the permanent teeth erupt in order to prevent overcrowding and irregular teeth formation, which may then become a life long fixture.
Dental check-ups: Regular dental check-ups are necessary to save many teeth by:
-- Detecting dental caries which can be treated immediately.
-- Having rotten milk teeth pulled out which can prevent the permanent teeth to come out in the correct position.
-- Having irregular teeth straightened out for clear speech and attractive appearance.
-- Enabling removable of any tartar around the necks of the teeth. This prevents gum infection. If the gums show signs of inflammation they can be treated immediately.
Always remember
-- See that your child makes a regular habit of brushing teeth before bedtime.
-- Brush twice a day and take pride in a clean healthy set of teeth.
-- Get into the habit of rinsing your mouth after eating.
-- Try and see that your toothpaste contains florid as this has been shown to fortify teeth against decay.
-- See that your toothbrush is of a super soft quality unless otherwise specified by your dentist.
-- Try and change your toothbrush when worn out which should be atleast twice a year.
-- Do dental floss if available thoroughly at least once a day as this helps to clean the crevices in between the teeth.
-- Encourage the child to chew an apple, sugarcane or a carrot, as these are good means of cleansing.
-- Don't brush your teeth very vigorously as this may damage the gums and rub away the enamel.
-- Don't take sweets, toffees and sticky snacks between meals especially before going to bed.
-- Don't use your teeth for unusual work such as breaking walnuts or opening bottles as this may chip the enamel of your teeth.
-- Don't allow your infant to fall asleep with a bottle containing sweetened liquids.
Plaque: If teeth are neglected and not brushed daily, plaque collects. Plaque is a sticky film of germs that clings to the teeth and can cause tooth decay and gum diseases.
Tooth decay: Plaque if not removed daily softens the enamel, which is gradually eaten away leading to decay and caries. The first sign of decay having set in is the formation of black or brown spots on the teeth. If neglected, pain is the second warning and a visit to the dentist at this stage is essential to provide timely care and thus save the teeth. Parents should examine their children's teeth regularly and watch out for these black and brown spots.
Gum diseases: If plaque is allowed to collect and not removed every day it turns hard and forms tartar. The tartar then penetrates the gums causing pus leading to gum disease commonly known as pyorrhoea.
How to remove plaque?
Use a manual toothbrush of medium texture and brush the chewing surface with to and fro scrubbing movements.
Brush behind the lower front teeth using an up and down stroke with the brush in an upright position. Be sure that the bristles rub the gums.
For the rest of the mouth place bristles against the gums pointing towards the roots. Rotate firmly so that the bristles sweep over the gums and teeth. Repeat each strokes six times.
Starting at the back, work round the upper teeth using a downward stroke. Repeat for the inner sides of the upper teeth. Carry out the same operation for the lower teeth this time using upward stokes. Don't forget the inner sides of the back teeth.