Receiving and losing teeth are big moments in a child’s life. KidsKare P.C. is here to help your child’s oral health pass each developmental milestone as smoothly as possible. Our dentists offer a wide range of dentistry to address every stage of pediatric oral health.
Each child experiences four developmental milestones between infancy and adulthood:
- Erupting baby teeth: Baby teeth finish developing before the first tooth begins to erupt. Typically, babies begin teething between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Regular dental care should become part of your child’s life with the appearance of the first tooth. The level of care that teeth receive from infancy and up will determine their future dental health. It is important to provide baby teeth with proper care until they fall out naturally.
- Dental care oral habits: Baby teeth need protection as soon as they arrive. Over-exposure to sugary drinks can lead to the development of dental cavities. Thumb sucking is another risk to be aware of: prolonged or aggressive thumb sucking can disrupt the normal development of teeth. We encourage you to bring your child to the dentist regularly to monitor developing oral health and prevent harmful oral habits.
- Mixed dentition: As baby teeth fall out and permanent teeth erupt, this “mixed dentition” can cause the new teeth to erupt improperly. Many children develop overcrowded and crooked teeth that may need to be addressed with orthodontics. During this stage, many children begin participating in sports, necessitating the use of a sports mouth guard to prevent dental injury. KidsKare P.C. can address all of these concerns in one convenient location.
- Wisdom teeth: Many teenagers and young adults do not have enough space in their dental arches to accommodate a third set of molars. In this case, the wisdom teeth will need to be removed to avoid disrupting the dental alignment. At this age, it is important that patients have developed excellent oral care routines to reduce the risk of developing periodontal disease, which affects at least a third of all adults.
Please contact our office at 575-532-5437 today if you have further questions about pediatric dentistry and oral developmental milestones in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Our team would be happy to provide you with more information about protecting your child’s smile.
