These tiny little teeth are important and should be brushed and taken care of like adult teeth. Yes, we lose our baby teeth, but they serve a much greater purpose than just looks and chewing. These teeth hold spaces for adult teeth.

Many parents have questions about why baby teeth are spaced out. When I see this in patients, my heart is happy because I know they will have adequate room for their adult teeth. When these tiny treasures are compromised with decay, they must get fixed as soon as possible so that when their adult teeth come in, there will be adequate room and space for eruption.

One reason is that they can become sick and infected just like adult teeth, and the other is that you want to keep them in your child's mouth for as long as possible. Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with a fluoride rinse are essential to keeping baby teeth healthy.

For the better health of your child, please bring them to the dentist when they turn one year of age.

Here’s a small daily routine to follow

• Morning: Always brush their teeth after breakfast and before leaving the house. For young babies 6-12 months old, use a cloth and wipe them after drinking milk and eating food.

  For older children, buy an age-appropriate toothbrush and fluoride-free toothpaste and help them brush each morning after breakfast.

• Midday: If possible, brush after every meal. However, if they are not with you, incorporate some water after lunchtime to help rinse away any leftover food particles that are present.

• Evening: It's crucial to clean the teeth after the evening meal and before bedtime. If your baby sleeps with the bottle or sippy cup, then the teeth and gums should be wiped with a damp cloth after finishing the bottle, even if they are asleep. This is super important to help prevent baby bottle tooth decay.

While some kids may not have all of their teeth by this age, it's still important to see the dentist, have their teeth examined and cleaned if possible.

This will begin the lifetime process of visiting the dentist regularly. I cannot stress how important it is to take care of your kids teeth when you see one appearing.

Reducing cavities in children is easy, you just have to make sure you're taking care of their teeth and visiting your dentist regularly.