Children's Dental Care & The Importance of Baby Teeth

Even though they're not even visible, baby teeth start growing even before a child is born and continue this growth once the child leaves the womb. The first signs of teeth "erupting" may appear as early as three months, and the growth spurt for teeth begins in earnest after the six-month mark. In the ordinary course of events, the full set of baby teeth will have erupted by the age of three.

It is important to understand that consistent thumb sucking has the same function on the mouth that dental braces do in later years. When a child sucks his or her thumb, any adjacent teeth — or emerging teeth — are going to be exposed to a gentle but consistent amount of pressure. If that pressure persists every day, it has the potential to move teeth in different directions. The big difference is that dental braces are a controlled application of force to move teeth into a desired, straighter position; thumb-sucking can do the opposite, forcing teeth out of a straight position and into a crooked one to better accommodate the thumb.

The best way to control a child's thumb sucking is to do so gradually. Don't just make him or her go "cold turkey" in one day, but limit the usage. Allow thumb sucking in the bedroom, or while sleeping. If thumb sucking is a coping mechanism during stressful periods, develop other coping strategies with the child. Use a reward system incentivizing the child with treats, praise, and other rewards for sustained periods of not thumb-sucking. If a child has mostly stopped, except for sleeping, then try having the child wear gloves at night or something else as a barrier.

By taking a child's baby teeth growth seriously, keeping the teeth clean, and watching for potential problems such as the influence of thumb sucking, you stand a much better chance of having healthier, stronger baby teeth. In so doing, you set the stage for the proper, healthy growth of the permanent teeth that will follow.