By the time your child reaches the age of three years, the basic routine of tooth care should be well established. Morning and evening tooth brushing sessions need to be carefully supervised by an adult, even though a child of this age will probably be eager to carry out brushing herself. Six-monthly visits to the dentist, to check that the teeth are coming through normally, are also important. These “tooth counting” sessions are also a good way of letting your child get used to visits to the dentist.
Most people are now aware of the damage caused to teeth by sugar in the diet. Sugary foods produce acids in the mouth that damage the enamel coating of the teeth by removing calcium. Once this has occurred, the tooth is vulnerable to decay and cavities will start to form. While fillings can repair cavities, the tooth is weakened and, if several affected by decay, may need to be removed. This could endanger the positioning of second teeth.
