When Do Teeth Start to Come Out?
After birth, the mouth and palate are created to be suitable for sucking milk. Teeth first begin to form in the womb. Milk teeth start to appear when the baby is 6 months old. Until the age of 3, all milk teeth appear in sequence and all appear in the mouth. Thus, the number of milk teeth reaches 20. This output occurs in a sequence. Milk teeth are more prone to wear and decay due to their structural differences. When you reach the age of 6, it's time for the permanent teeth. The permanent teeth wait for the day they come out in a sac inside the bone, like a child in the mother's womb. At the age of 6, the milk teeth begin to give way to permanent teeth. This situation continues until the average age of 13. This period between the ages of 6 and 13, when both milk teeth and permanent teeth are present in the mouth, is called the mixed dentition period. During this period, existing caries in milk teeth also negatively affect the health of newly erupted permanent teeth.
What are the Effects of Nutrition on Oral and Dental Health?
We know that nothing can replace breast milk in the development of babies. The natural food of babies is breast milk. No formula contains love, sensitivity, compassion, or information about ways to avoid disasters and diseases like breast milk. All this information comes from the mother, that is, from breast milk. Therefore, babies should be fed with breast milk for at least the first six months, as well as the development of teeth and jaws, soft tissues and tissues around the mouth. It will ensure the normal development of muscle functions. In cases where breast milk is insufficient, a bottle with a physiological cap should be used.
Babies should be accustomed to feeding with a cup and spoon starting from the age of 1. Bottle feeding can continue until the age of 2 at most. Habits such as thumb sucking and using a pacifier can be allowed until the age of 2 - 2.5 years. If there is a habit of thumb sucking, the reason for this should be investigated and this habit should be eliminated between the ages of 3 and 6. Respiratory problems have a negative impact on jaw development. If there is breathing only through the mouth rather than through the nose (this situation is better understood during sleep), an ear, nose and throat specialist should definitely be consulted. .
Tooth decay is the most common infection in societies around the world. In short, tooth decay begins when food residues remain on our teeth after eating and cannot be removed. Resident microorganisms in our oral environment cling to food residues, feed on them, and begin to decay teeth. This situation continues until food residues are removed from the environment. If tooth decay progresses, the loss of material in the tooth increases and pain begins. The filling process may not be sufficient and may lead to root canal treatment or even tooth extraction. Early milk tooth extraction is a situation we do not want and it negatively affects the health of the permanent tooth coming from below. Nutrition is of great importance in tooth decay and its treatment. Especially unnatural, ready-made foods with additives have a higher risk of causing tooth decay. Microorganisms like these foods more, increasing their effectiveness in causing tooth decay. Even if the teeth are forgotten to brush after eating natural, non-adulterated foods, the risk of tooth decay is less.
In terms of oral and dental health, it is of great importance that children consume the nutrients they need at each meal regularly and in sufficient quantities. In order to maintain oral and dental health, foods such as eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt, which have high nutritional value and play an important role in tooth development and protection of teeth from decay, should be included in breakfast. Additionally, fruits such as orange, apple, kiwi and fruits such as cabbage, cauliflower and purslane should be included. It is necessary to consume fish, chicken, meat and broth-added foods alternately with green leafy vegetables. Cheese, in particular, plays an important role in alkalizing the oral environment, which is acidic during meals, and in cleaning the teeth. Therefore, in cases where teeth are not brushed after breakfast, eating cheese last has a great effect on protecting against tooth decay. In addition, in cases where the teeth are not brushed before going to bed at night, biting and eating an apple will prevent tooth decay by mechanically cleaning the teeth.
In main meals; Fast-food style nutrition also has negative effects on oral and dental health. They accelerate the formation of caries in milk and permanent teeth. External As the decay progresses, tooth discoloration, pain, bad breath and even tooth loss may occur. Therefore, the consumption of such foods, as well as acidic drinks, should be restricted. Chips, candy, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, cola, ice cream, etc. Consuming foods instead of main meals and in large quantities should be strictly prevented. Especially children can easily access such foods from school canteens during the day. However, instead of these foods, it is of great importance to consume foods such as fruits, buttermilk, milk, raisins, dried apricots, hazelnuts and walnuts, which have high vitamin, protein and calcium content and also contribute significantly to the protection of tooth decay.
Various health problems arise as a result of unhealthy nutrition in childhood. These problems can cause major problems in oral and dental health. Especially what we call a uniform diet; Foods such as chocolate, biscuits, pastries, pastries, sweets and carbonated drinks do not provide any benefit to the child's development. On the contrary, the oral and dental health of children is negatively affected due to the high sugar content of such foods.
If our child loves unhealthy snacks and cannot give them up, he should at least reduce the amount and brush his teeth as soon as he consumes them.
Recommendations for Parents for Children's Oral and Dental Care
Regular dentist check-ups, awareness arising from the child's relationship with the dentist, and gaining the habit of brushing teeth will ensure the child's comfort in later years. If there is no abnormal situation, the first dental examination should be performed once until the age of 2. Thereafter, checks are carried out regularly every 6 months.
When Should Tooth Brushing Begin in Children?
When the baby is 6-8 months old, when the first teeth appear in the mouth, Oral care should begin. After breakfast and before going to bed at night, it will be sufficient to wipe the chewing surfaces of the teeth by wetting a clean cheesecloth or gauze with warm water. You can start using a toothbrush only after the child's back teeth emerge (that is, It is appropriate to start at an average age of 2.5 - 3 years. It is very difficult to get preschool children to apply a technique for brushing their teeth. However, this process can be done with the support of their parents. The important thing at this age is to give the child the habit of brushing his teeth. When children brush their teeth, they often brush the visible or easily accessible surfaces of the teeth. However, in order to prevent caries, it is necessary to clean the interfaces and chewing surfaces of the teeth much better. For this reason, it is good for the parents to control themselves after brushing.
Only two minutes of effective brushing after breakfast and before going to bed at night is sufficient. It should not be forgotten that, like every good habit, the habit of brushing teeth should be acquired during childhood.
The use of toothpaste is not recommended in infancy and children up to the age of three. Toothpaste use should start after the age of three. But 3-5cm as you see in advertisements. Not, a paste the size of a roasted chickpea will be enough for brushing. When starting to use toothpaste, any of the toothpastes can be preferred. The important thing is that the child likes and desires the taste of the chosen paste. It should not be forgotten that effective brushing is more important than paste in the brushing process.
Soft toothbrushes suitable for the child's mouth size should be used. Hard brushes are not suitable for use as they will erode the teeth. Just as sweeping cannot be done with an old broom, teeth cannot be brushed with an old brush. Brush bristles must be replaced as soon as they wear out (Approximately 6 months)
Issues Parents Should Pay Attention to in Jaw Development?
It is of great importance that the food given to children is eaten by biting. For example, instead of chopping the fruit or mashing some foods, it is necessary to bite the fruit and eat meat and meat products directly from the bone by biting the teeth. This is because our teeth and lower and upper jaw develop as we chew, that is, as we use them. This development is very important for the healthy growth of the lower and upper jaw in childhood. In this way, all permanent teeth have this place in the jaw. lur. Otherwise, the jaw cannot fully develop and reach a sufficient size. This can cause bigger problems, especially during the eruption of wisdom teeth. These teeth may remain buried and cause bigger problems. I wish you all healthy and happy smiles…
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