Ideally, a child should visit a dentist as soon as his/her first tooth erupts (usually around 6 months of age). The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that a child go to the dentist no later by his/her first birthday or within six months after the first tooth erupts.

Children generally begin to get their baby teeth at around 6 months of age. However, they may appear at as early as 4 months of age or as late as 15 months. By around 3 years of age, all 20 baby teeth would have erupted.

Baby teeth typically begin to loosen and fall out to make room for permanent teeth at about 6 years of age. By around 12 years of age, all baby teeth shed and are replaced by permanent teeth. All 32 of the permanent teeth usually erupt by 21 years of age..

Starting at birth, clean your child’s gums with a soft cloth and water. Use a soft toothbrush and water as soon as the first tooth erupts. Parents should use a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste to brush baby teeth twice daily from around 18 months of age. The amount of toothpaste should be increased to a pea-size dollop at 3 years of age. Children require supervised brushing until 8 years of age.

Yes. Some orthodontic problems are significant enough to require early intervention. However, if a patient is not yet ready for treatment, we will follow that patient’s growth and development until the time is right for treatment to begin.