HEALTH - Teeth

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Extract from - OH, I WISH I'D LOOKED AFTER MY TEETH - by Pam Ayres

Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth,
And spotted the perils beneath,
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food,
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.

I wish I'd been that much more willin'
When I had more tooth there than fillin'
To pass up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers
And to buy something else with me shillin'.

None of us want our children to be left feeling like Pam Ayres through neglect of their teeth! Many of us are unconsciously aware of the delicacy of a child’s teeth as they develop. It is amazing to think that your child’s teeth were starting to develop before they were born.

  • Teeth start to grow and develop in a child’s gums early in pregnancy.Dental care for children
  • A full set of first teeth numbers 20 in total.
  • Teeth usually start to break through and appear at around six months, but this is no hard and fast rule. It can happen earlier or in many cases later. Advice on teething can be found in the development section of this site, and this section deals with the proper care of first and second teeth.

When should we start brushing?

It is generally considered that brushing should start when the first teeth appear, so that by the time the first teeth are all through brushing is well established and considered part of a child’s normal daily routine.

  • When children first start brushing their teeth it is a good idea to use toothpaste that is for sensitive teeth as this will be gentler on developing teeth.
  • Changing their toothbrush regularly is important as toothbrushes lose their effectiveness quickly due to regular use.
  • Many children do not like brushing their teeth and often rush the process, encourage them to brush their teeth to the duration of a whole song on the radio: this will give them something to focus on and will make the experience less of a chore.

Useful Links

For more information on dental hygiene visit the Health section of the BBC website, the NHS website or the British Dental Association.