Elementary
Your Teeth Now
Congratulations! You have started losing some of your baby teeth and now your grown-up teeth are coming in. Make sure you brush your teeth in the morning when you wake up and at night, before you go to bed. If you need help, ask your mom or dad to help so they can make sure you didn’t miss any. Also, coming in to see us for your teeth cleaning is really important to make sure you and your teeth stay healthy. Now that you are getting your grown-up teeth, it is even more important that you brush your teeth after drinking sugary drinks or eating candy. This is because invisible bacteria live in your mouth and bacteria love to eat sugar. This causes tooth decay, which is how you can get cavities.
Oral Health At This Age
At this age, your child’s permanent teeth have started to replace their baby teeth. They should be able to brush their teeth on their own (but still may need supervision and accountability from you). As their permanent teeth begin to appear, talk to Dr. Royal or Dr. Reid about having dental sealants [link to blog] placed on the chewing surfaces of their back teeth to protect them from decay, therefore preventing cavities.
- Other oral health problems for children this age include:
- Cavities
- Crooked or crowded teeth
- Infections
- Extractions
- Trauma from accidents
Along with your child regularly brushing their teeth, bringing your child in every 6 months for routine dental cleanings and checkups can protect the health of your child’s teeth and gums.
