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 Baby's teeth
Your baby's teeth will start to appear at around six month of age. The complete set of 20 milk teeth will be present by 2-and-a-half years.
The milk teeth are important for eating, speech development and good looks. They also keep the space for the permanent teeth to come out later in life.
Nursing bottle caries
Do not leave your baby to sleep with a bottle of milk in the mouth or it will result in many decayed teeth. This is due to the milk changing into lactic acid which causes tooth decay.
Choosing baby's food
Plain milk, cereals and juice are enough for your baby; there is no need to add sugar (glucose, sucrose) or honey.
Read the labels of baby food (e.g. milk powder, teething biscuits, commercially-prepared baby food and juice) and avoid those with added sugar.
Avoid tetracycline
Do not give a child below 10 years any tetracycline or it will stain his permanent teeth.
Bad habits
Thumb sucking and prolonged use of pacifiers can lead to protruding front teeth. So train your child not to suck his thumb. If he uses a pacifier, wean him off it early as possible.
Rewards and punishments
Sugary snacks like sweets, chocolates and ice cream should never be offered as reward for good behavior.
A child should also not be threatened with a visit to the dentist.
 Cleaning your child's teeth
Before baby has teeth, wipe the gums and tongue with a moist cloth after each milk feed. Once teeth have appeared, wipe all the teeth surfaces with a moist cloth after each milk feed. By one year of age, a small toothbrush can be used. Do not use toothpaste until your child knows how to spit out and not swallow the toothpaste.
Parents should clean their child's teeth and supervise the cleaning until the child is able to brush well on his own.
The first dental check-up
Bring your child for his first dental check-up when he is one to 2-and-a-half years old. Ideally, a child should have his first check-up before he has any tooth decay. This ensures that the first check-up is not associated with pain leading to a lifetime fear of the dentist.
Therefore, six-monthly check-ups are recommended for good dental health.
Preventing decay
Apart from good oral hygiene, there are two ways of protecting yours child's teeth against decay:
- Fissure sealant
The dentist may apply a sealant on the biting surface of the teeth.
- Tropical fluoride application
In children prone to decay, the dentist may paint a solution or gel of fluoride on the tooth.
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