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Baby Teeth Cavities

Between eighteen and thirty months of age, all twenty of the primary ("baby' teeth will have arrived. Although they will all be replaced, secondary (permanent) teeth won't appear for a few more years, so primary teeth deserve attention and care. (If a tooth becomes injured, see a dentist immediately. Sometimes it is possible to save damaged teeth.) Their biggest enemy will be decay (caries), which affects many children by the age of three. If damage from caries is severe enough to cause the loss of any primary teeth, proper alignment of the permanent teeth may be affected later on.

There are four ways to reduce the likelihood of decay.

Check with your child's health-care provider about the use of fluoride. This decay-retarding substance may already be present in your local water supply, or it mai-- be given in the form of an oral supplement, with or without vitamins. It is important that your child not receive too much fluoride, however, because it can cause discoloration of teeth.

Introduce your child to a dentist who sees children (pedodontist). This should be done no later than the third birthday. Special preventive measures such as topical fluoride treatment or sealants may be recommended, and you can also check about the use of supplemental fluoride.

Your toddler won't be adept at handling a toothbrush, so you will need to do the honors with a soft brush at least once a day, usually at bedtime. To remove any plaque, which can start the process of decay, take enough time to brush both front and back of all the teeth. This process may go more smoothly if the child's head is leaning against you or resting on your lap. If she doesn't like toothpaste, just use water. If you use fluoride-containing toothpaste, do so sparingly, because it is likely that some will be swallowed, and a surprising amount of fluoride can be absorbed this way. A pea-sized amount of toothpaste is all that should be used. There is enough fluoride in a strip of toothpaste covering the length of the bristles to cause eventual discoloration of a child's teeth if a substantial amount is swallowed regularly.

Finally, don't let your toddler become hooked on foods that will provide a playground for destructive bacteria. Gummy candy, dried fruit, toffee, or caramel present a risk of choking incidents at this age. Keep these items away from yourtwo-year-old.

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