It is recommended that a child’s first visit to the dentist’s should be before they are 12 months old, or no later than 6 months after the first milk tooth has come out. This exam is important because parents will learn about their child’s future dental health care. It also helps the child to develop a positive attitude towards going to the dentist’s and to adopt good oral hygiene habits from a very young age.

Due to the mother’s illness during the pregnancy or as a result of bad habits (consumption of sugary food, juices and other liquids), caries in baby teeth may appear quite early. To prevent it from spreading, it must be treated. Caries spreads to the other teeth easily because baby teeth have a much weaker enamel than permanent teeth.

Permanent teeth usually come out between the ages of six and seven years. The first teeth to erupt are molars (aka the six-year molars), usually in the lower jaw. Parents are often unaware that their child has had a new molar because it is not preceded by losing a baby tooth – molars simply continue the dental arch.