Raising cavity-free kids? It’s no longer a dream; you can make it a reality with some simple instructions. In this series of sessions, my goal is to show you, step-by-step, how to:

• Prevent cavities in your child’s mouth,
• Help your child develop strong teeth that can resist cavities, and
• Develop good oral-hygiene habits that can help them keep teeth healthy for lifetime.

For you to understand this topic better, you need to have some background information on the eruption patterns of baby and adult teeth.

• Part 1: Dental Development and Tooth Structure

A baby’s very first tooth appears in his mouth when he is about four to eight months old, and, by the time he is three years old, he or she will probably have his full set of twenty baby (primary) teeth. A child will keep these primary teeth till he is about six years old.

A child’s permanent teeth begin to erupt when he or she is about six years old, and, usually, by the time he is twelve or thirteen, the permanent teeth have replaced all his baby teeth. In addition to having his permanent teeth replace his baby teeth, he will also grow two adult molars behind where the original baby teeth were, and he will probably get his third molars between the ages of sixteen and twenty—unless they are impacted (stuck behind the molars or in the bone).

Tooth Structure

A tooth is a bit like an iceberg: Only a portion of it is visible; much more lies beneath the surface. The part of the tooth that is not visible extends down (or up) into the gums, and then into the bones of the lower and upper jaw. Although some people think of a tooth as a solid piece of bone, it is actually a multilayered structure that is alive with nerves and blood vesselsWe

We will discuss how to take care of primary teeth during baby’s first year in the next post. Please feel free to email or comment if you have further questions.