In this day and age, children are at an increased risk of developing cavities from an early age. This is due to the abundance of and easy access to sweetened foods, coupled with misinformation and poor oral hygiene habits. Cavities can form on baby teeth upon the earliest eruption through the gums, which occurs around 5-10 months old. Early childhood caries occur at lightning speed and can cause severe distress for a child. The Canadian Dental Association considers early childhood cavities a significant public health problem. Early childhood caries can lead to pain, infection, loss of confidence, trouble biting and chewing and future issues with crowding of the adult teeth.
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Early Childhood Caries is the presence of one or more decayed teeth, missing teeth due to decay or dental restorations in any baby teeth in children from birth to around six years of age. Baby bottle decay or early childhood caries affects baby teeth or milk teeth. Baby teeth erupt when the child is about 6 months old and stop erupting at around 33 months of age. Many people think that baby teeth are not necessary because they are temporary and will fall out at some point. Baby teeth have an essential role in your child’s oral health.