Post pregnancy especially the first child, the parent is on tenterhooks with regard to the infant's overall health. The slightest sneeze or the baby not burping after feeding makes you run to your pediatrician to find out if there is something seriously wrong with your baby. With the publication of various books and google throwing up answers to every possible question your mind can frame, not ignoring of course the wisdom of our elders as well, parent's in today'sInformation Age think they have an idea of what to expect  when it comes to parenthood. However it has been noticed that this information overload usually aggravates the problem rather than diminishing it.

The aim of this article is to therefore to dispel some myths and shed some light over common problems faced by newborns and toddlers, the normal developmental stages of teeth and how to maintain your baby’s oral hygiene right from an early age.

The first thing that you need to be aware of  is the sequence in which your baby will start getting his milk teeth followed by the permanent ones. The first teeth to make their presence felt in the baby' s mouth are usually  the lower front teeth also known as the  lower incisors, seen around 6-7 months of age.
Sometimes a tooth is visible in the infant’s mouth at the time of birth known as the natal teeth or in the first 30 days of life called the neonatal teeth, the causes being attributed to malnutrition, environmental factors and genetics.

In a nutshell, milk teeth usually start erupting by 6 months and finish erupting by 3 yrs at the end of which a total of 20 teeth are seen in number.

By the age of 6 years, the first permanent teeth that appears is usually the lower permanent 1st molar. Eventually the milk teeth become loose and are shed to be replaced by their permanent counterparts and this process of getting permanent teeth completes by 14 years amounting to a total of 28 permanent teeth, all the milk teeth having fallen.

2. Sugary snacks and sticky foods should be avoided between meals. They are kids at the end of the day so they will yearn for sweets. They are best offered at meal times.

Certain pointers :

• Teething: It is a process by which the teeth erupt after penetration of the overlying gums. It is a normal physiological process but can be accompanied  by fever, itching of the gums, diarrhea and convulsion. When infant's start teething they have the urge to pick up anything they can find and put it in their mouth just to chew on it. Gently massage the area with a gauze piece or a clean cloth slightly soaked in saline. Teething rings are available in the market that will give them something to get a bite on. Analgesic gels prescribed by your dentist may also provide relief. Avoid adding sugary liquids to these teething rings or nipples such as honey or it may promote decay in the existing teeth.
• If you think that your kid has malaligned teeth, the period between 12- 14 yrs is a good time to get a check up done with the orthodontist i.e ur braces specialist. The jaw bone exhibits growth till the child is 18yrs of age. Hence along with teeth straightening if correction of the  jaw bone is also required it can be attempted during this period with better results.
• Topical fluoride treatment :It's good to get a topical fluoride treatment done under dental supervision twice  a yr beginning from 3rd yr upto 13 yrs  as fluoride reduces the incidence of cavities. Fluoride has the ability to strengthen the tooth enamel and make it more resistant to decay.
• Incase your kids suffers a trauma on his face while playing or due to a fall and you notice that his tooth has fallen off intact, place the tooth in milk or saline or saliva and take the kid to the dentist immediately. The earlier you go better are the chances that the same tooth can be implanted in the child's mouth.
• If you are advised dental procedures under general anaesthesia for your child due to various reasons, it would be advisable to get the treatment done in a hospital setup, by a pedodontist and under a trained anesthetist, where the necessary backup is available in case an emergency arises .
• I have come across parent's who use desentising toothpastes that have been prescribed for them for their kids as well. Remember desentising toothpastes carry large amounts of flouride that are beyond the recommended levels for kids and can adversely affect your childs health. The child’s needs are slightly different from  ours and they should not be considered to be mini adults.

Till the kids grow up you as parents are the primary caregivers and  are solely responsible for their overall health and their healthy lifestyle and eating habits. So lets not have a lax attitude and play  trial and error with them. A little knowledge about the essential things  of do's and don'ts from qualified sources will go a long way in ensuring your child's positive outlook towards their own health.

Even if your child is free from any dental problems, a yearly visit to the dental office can go a long way in teaching him the lesson that prevention is indeed better than cure especially with the high cost of dental treatment today. Do not wait for a painful cavity to warrant a visit to the dentist which would invariably be an unpleasant one and may introduce a fear of  treatment in their minds. Instead the visit should be a non threatening pleasant one so that right from a young age the child is a fan and not a foe of dentistry.