Early Dental Care

Appropriate and effective dental care is essential for all patients, especially our youngest and most vulnerable patients. At Wachtel Dentistry, your local Geneseo children’s dentist, we want to provide parents and their little ones with all the necessary information to build a solid dental foundation. Dental care begins when your baby’s first tooth erupts through their gum line. For this reason, we offer dental care for children throughout the Geneseo area and make early care and treatment a priority. 

A young girl sitting in a dentist's chair receiving a routine check up and teeth cleaning.

Primary Teeth

Primary (baby) teeth play a crucial role in dental development. Without them, a child cannot chew food properly and has difficulty speaking clearly. Primary teeth are vital for the development of the jaws and for guiding the permanent teeth into place when they replace the baby teeth around age 6. Since primary teeth guide the permanent teeth into place, infants with missing primary teeth or infants who prematurely lose primary teeth may require a space maintainer, a device used to hold the natural space open. Without a maintainer, the teeth can tilt toward the empty space and cause permanent teeth to come in crooked. 

 

Infant Tooth Eruption

A child's teeth actually start forming before birth. As early as 4 months of age, the primary teeth push through the gums—the lower central incisors are first, then the upper central incisors. The remainder of the 20 primary teeth typically erupt by age 3. Permanent teeth begin eruption around age 6, starting with the first molars and lower central incisors. This process continues until around age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth—32 including the third molars (wisdom teeth).

 

Teething 

A baby's first tooth typically erupts between 6 to 12 months of age. Their gums can be sore, tender and sometimes irritable until the age of 3. Rubbing sore gums gently with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth helps soothe the gums. Teething rings also work well, with a variety of models and products on the market. 

 

Baby Bottle Decay

While your baby is teething, it is important to monitor their teeth for signs of baby bottle decay. Examine the teeth, especially on the tongue side, every two weeks for dull spots (whiter than the tooth surface) or lines. A bottle left in an infant's mouth while sleeping can cause decay. This happens because sugar in the liquid mixes with bacteria in dental plaque, forming acids that attack the tooth enamel. Each time a child drinks liquids containing sugar, acids attack the teeth for about 20 minutes. When awake, saliva carries away the liquid. During sleep, the saliva flow significantly decreases and liquids pool around the child's teeth for long periods, covering the teeth in acids. Consult our children’s dentistry for more questions about baby bottle decay. 

 

Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Tooth decay in infants can be minimized or totally prevented by not allowing sleeping infants to bottle-feed. Infants that need a bottle to comfortably fall asleep should be given a water-filled bottle or a pacifier.

 

A Child's First Dental Visit

A young girl smiling at the dentist while receiving dental treatment..

A child's first dental visit should be scheduled around their first birthday. The most important part of the visit is getting to know and becoming comfortable with the Geneseo family dental team. A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future dental visits.

 

Good Diet & Healthy Teeth

The teeth, bones and soft tissue of the mouth require a healthy, well-balanced diet. A variety of foods from the five food groups helps minimize (and avoid) cavities and other dental problems. Children should receive healthy foods like vegetables, low-fat yogurt and cheeses, which promote strong teeth.

 

Schedule Your Next Visit With Wachtel Dentistry!

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s early dental care, never hesitate to call our family dentist. We want to ensure that your child is comfortable and at ease while in our children’s dentistry, starting from their first visit. To schedule your child’s first visit or their next visit, please contact Wachtel Dentistry in Geneseo or request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you and providing excellent dental care for your children!