Milk teeth, which are also known as primary or deciduous teeth, are nothing but the first set of teeth to erupt in a human being. They are 20 in number 10 in upper jaw and 10 in lower jaw.

2. When do milk teeth start erupting?

The first milk teeth erupt at the age of 6 months to one year of age and the lower front milk tooth erupts first.

3. Why are they called milk teeth?

They are called milk teeth or primary teeth because permanent or secondary teeth later replace them.

4. What is the role of primary or milk teeth?

These teeth have the same function as permanent teeth viz. for esthetics or appearance, speech, eating or mastication and apart from this they maintain space in the jaw for the permanent teeth to erupt.

5. When is it the right time to start brushing the child's teeth?

As soon as the first primary teeth erupts the parent should start brushing the child's teeth. Before the teeth erupts the parent should clean the child's mouth, gums with cotton dipped in Water.

6. Can a toothbrush be used immediately?

No, initially the parents should use the fingers for cleaning the child's teeth. At the age of about one-year parents can start brushing the child's teeth and later supervise and guide the child's brushing.

7. How long should the parent brush the child's teeth?

The parent should brush and guide the child's teeth until the age of 3 to 4 years or until the child is able to brush properly by himself. Later they should supervise the child's brushing.

8. What is the importance of dental treatment for milk teeth?

The milk teeth need the same amount of dental care and treatment as the permanent teeth, in fact they need more dental attention as any infection or injury to the milk teeth affects the developing permanent teeth directly or indirectly. So prompt and immediate treatment should be given to all the primary teeth, which are decayed and are injured due to fall or trauma.

9. Should a child also visit the dentist regularly even if he/she has no dental problem?

Yes, it is mandatory to visit the dentist regularly atleast once in 6 months, as it is not just decay or injury that needs dental treatment, but if there is any developing malocclusion. It can be detected by the dentist and can be intercepted and corrected early.

10. Is thumb sucking normal?

Thumb sucking is considered normal only till a certain age of about 3 to 4 years. If thumb sucking persists after this age it is of both social and dental concern.

11. What is the cause of thumb sucking?

It is a normal habit till the age of 3 to 4 years. If it persists beyond this age then there are many reasons like psychological, depression, feeling of insecurity or lack of attention from parents.

12. Can a parent help the child get rid of this habit?

Yes, to a certain extent. The parent must be able to identify the underlying cause and correct it. There are other methods like putting some bitter substance on the thumb, removing the thumb from the mouth and replacing it with a chewable substance, in case of elder children use of visual aids will be helpful. There are corrective appliances for oral habits also.

13. Is spacing between primary teeth normal?

Yes, spacing between primary teeth is normal. The primary teeth are smaller than the permanent teeth. To compensate for this difference in size of teeth there is spacing between primary teeth.

14. What would happen if there were no spacing between primary teeth?

Lack of spacing between primary teeth is a clear indication that there will be less space for the permanent teeth to erupt. hence leading to crowding or malocclusion/ malalignment of the teeth

15. Does bottle-feeding the child in the night affect the teeth?

Yes, especially sweetened milk given to the child at night or pacifiers dipped in honey lead to a condition called "Nursing bottle caries" or "Baby bottle syndrome", where all the teeth except the lower anteriors are affected by carious which could be very fast spreading and destructive if not detected earlier and if prompt treatment is not given and the habit should be stopped.