Healthy teeth from infancy to childhood

My baby is getting teeth! Your baby starts to erupt their first milk teeth starting from the 6th month. Milk teeth are important in the development of babies. They play a role in chewing food, speaking, looking aesthetically pleasing, and ensuring that permanent teeth erupt in their normal position. What do I need to do for healthy milk teeth? Regular brushing, healthy eating habits, and regular dentist checks are required for a healthy set of milk teeth. Brushing should be done twice a day with soft, age-appropriate brushes from the time milk teeth erupt. The purpose of brushing is to clean all white enamel surfaces. Brushing should be done after meals with circular movements from the gums towards the inside of the mouth . A fluoridated toothpaste suitable for the child's age should be used, only the size of a pea. Teeth must be brushed before going to bed. What is baby bottle tooth decay and how is it prevented? Drinking milk or fruit juice with a baby bottle for a long time, especially when falling asleep at night in babies, causes widespread tooth decay. The main reason for these widespread decays is that the teeth remain in contact with these liquids for a long time. Therefore, it is right to give the baby only water throughout the night. What is fluoride application? Fluoride helps teeth become stronger. Depending on age, the dentist can perform various fluoride applications in the clinic on tooth surfaces to ensure the strengthening of the teeth. When should I take my child to the dentist? The first dentist check should be done after the child starts sitting on their own. Even if there is no problem in your child's mouth, they should be taken to the dentist every 6 months. A check-up every 6 months is important in terms of early detection of potential problems. It also plays a role in the child getting used to the dentist and the tools used, and preventing the formation of dental fear. What kind of consequences do bad habits cause? Bad habits such as putting the tongue between the teeth, thumb sucking, and nail biting disrupt the milk teeth alignment as well as affecting the permanent teeth alignment that follows. Facial development is impaired. Pedodontists and, if necessary, pedagogues should be cooperated with to eliminate these habits. Are gum diseases seen in children? Gum diseases can be seen in childhood mostly during tooth eruption, when breathing through the mouth, in malocclusions of the teeth, due to bad habits, and in herpes infection. The factors causing the disease must be eliminated and necessary treatments must be performed by dentists. New teeth are coming in my child's mouth. Around the age of 6, the first permanent molars erupt into the mouth behind the rearmost milk teeth, and these teeth are often confused with milk teeth. However, they are permanent teeth and do not change. Protecting the health of these teeth is of great importance for the child to chew and for the development of the face and jaw bones. What is a surface sealant (fissure sealant)? Protective substances called fissure sealants are applied by dentists to the chewing surfaces of milk or permanent molars. Fissure sealant covers the chewing surfaces, cutting off the contact of these indented and protruding areas with bacteria and nutrients, and prevents the formation of decay. What is proper nutrition in terms of dental health? In nutrition, sugary foods such as sugar and chocolate should be avoided, especially between meals. In addition, sugary fruit juice and carbonated drinks should be restricted between meals. Instead of sugary refined foods, natural, juicy and high-fiber foods such as fruit should be recommended. Especially if they want something very sweet between meals, products bearing the "Toothfriendly" logo should be preferred. These products do not cause tooth decay. When is orthodontics necessary? Although preventive orthodontic treatments are necessary when there is a disorder in the tooth alignment in both the milk and permanent dentition periods, fixed orthodontic treatments ensure the correct development of teeth, jaw bones, the child's proper facial appearance, and chewing efficiency.