Orthodontics Airdrie
Early Childhood Dental Care

At Airdrie Bayside Dental & Orthodontics, we provide parents and caregivers in Airdrie Alberta with early treatment for their kids, helping you manage your child’s dental care needs right from infancy and throughout their early childhood.

It is never too early to start caring for your child’s baby teeth

The sooner you get your child started on regular dental visits, the healthier their teeth, mouths, and bodies will stay for their entire lives. Early dental care helps prevent tooth decay and cavities that can cause a lot of pain, interfere with your child’s concentration, and contribute to other medical issues.

Keeping your little one’s teeth healthy offers a number of benefits. It enhances your child’s ability to:

• Chew food
• Speak clearly
• Smile with confidence

Avoid habits that could harm your baby’s teeth

What many first-time parents may not realise is that their newborn’s teeth become susceptible to decay the instant they erupt; a condition that is known as early childhood tooth decay or baby bottle tooth decay. This decay typically occurs in the front upper teeth starting from the age of 6 months, though other teeth may also be affected as they erupt.

Fortunately, tooth decay can be successfully prevented by reducing the risk of getting your baby infected with harmful, decay-causing bacteria. There are two ways to achieve this:

• By improving the dental health of the caregiver in order to reduce the amount of harmful bacteria in their mouth, and
• By not passing your saliva to the baby by licking pacifiers or feeding spoons before giving them to babies

After each feeding, you should wipe your baby’s gums with a clean, damp washcloth to remove bits of food and plaque that may interfere with erupting teeth. When the teeth start to erupt, clean them gently with a small toothbrush and water, and start a routine of daily oral hygiene.

In order to intercept potential problems early, we recommend that you schedule the first dental checkup no more than six months after the first tooth erupts, which should be around the age of 1 year.

Early Dental Care

Early treatment – starting at the around the age of 2 years – can save your child from the physical and psychological effects of dental neglect. Baby teeth influence your child’s overall health. The front teeth help to bite into foods like apples and carrots; all teeth help to strengthen jaw and facial muscles by chewing; plus they occupy the space for permanent teeth that are forming in the gums.

So, it is important that your child doesn’t lose his/her baby teeth prematurely. Children live a good part of their early days using their mouth to suck, chew, taste, talk, and smile. Good oral habits are learned through repetition, and Airdrie Bayside Dental & Orthodontics will help you reinforce proper oral practises to help keep your child smiling.