Dental care for kids should start even before their teeth come out. Just because you can't see the teeth doesn't mean that they're not there. Many babies are born with several teeth completely developed in their jaw. Wipe your baby's gums with a soft damp cloth after each feeding. It helps preventing the buildup of bacteria. After the teeth appear, start brushing them with a soft kid's toothbrush twice a day. As a kids dentist I recommend using fluoride toothpastes only when your child is pre-school age. Always use only a small amount of them. Kids usually swallow most of these toothpastes and swallowing too much of them can leave permanent stains on the teeth.
Another one of my concerns as a kids dentist is cavities. Cavities are holes made by bacteria in the teeth and unfortunately are very common in kids. Consuming a lot of sugary foods and drinks increases the risk of cavities. Having your kids teeth regularly checked by one of our dentists at Culver City Dentist, Mar Vista Dentist, West Los Angeles Dentist, Beverly Hills Dentist or any other one of our dental offices helps preventing cavities. Avoid sweets, sticky foods and between-meals snacks and don't forget brushing your kid's teeth.
Baby-bottle tooth decay is another issue for kids. When you put your baby to sleep with a bottle, or your kid just goes around the house with a bottle in his or her mouth, milk or juice in the bottle remain on the teeth and their sugar eats away the enamel, making an ideal environment for the bacteria to gather and grow.
Thumb-sucking is not a danger for your kid's teeth before age 4-6. If your kid still sucks his or her thumb, fingers or pacifier after age 4, ask your kids dentist to watch for signs of any problem. Thumb-sucking could be a problem if it persists by the time permanent front teeth start to appear.
Finally start taking your kids to kids dentist around their first birthday. Regular checkups can help preventing many dental and oral diseases and damage to their teeth. 

Baby teeth usually become loose and fall out at the age 6-7 to make room for the permanent teeth. In some kids it might happen as soon as age 4 or sometimes it can be as late as age 8. You may want to consult with a kid's dentist if your kid has not lost any teeth by age 7. On the other hand, permanent teeth that erupt late are usually stronger as they had stayed longer in the jaw and are more resistant to cavities. Generally girls lose their baby teeth earlier than boys, but for all the kids it should be over by age 12 or 13. Baby teeth are usually lost in the same order they had erupted; first the two bottom front teeth followed by the two top front teeth, lateral incisors, first molars, canines and finally second molars.
Baby teeth are lost as the roots dissolve and clear the way for the permanent teeth. They usually fall out on their own. When the tooth is quite loose but is still hanging, you or your kid can use a tissue and slowly rotate the tooth until it comes out. If the root is completely dissolved, it should come out easily and there is no need to visit a children's dentist. If there is still some root left, don't force the tooth out, the root might break and become infected.
The newly erupted teeth may look bigger than they should, but will become less noticeable as your kid grows. If you think that the teeth are becoming crowded and are erupting too close to each other, consult with a kid's dentist. If your kid needs orthodontic treatment, it's better to start it as soon as possible.  Sometimes permanent teeth erupt before the baby teeth are gone. In that case two rows of teeth are developed (shark's teeth). The baby teeth are pushed by the permanent teeth and usually fall out in a couple of weeks. If they last more than three months, then it's time to consult with a children's dentist. It's better to have your kid's teeth regularly checked by a kid's dentist to make sure everything is in correct order.

Tooth cavities in very young kids is one of my biggest concerns as a kids dentist these days. It seems that many kids start to have cavities in their baby teeth between age 2 and 5. Cavities are decayed parts of the teeth that turn into holes or openings in the teeth. A combination of factors cause tooth decays. Some of them are snacking frequently, consuming sugary drinks and of course, not cleaning your teeth properly. Also foods that stay on the teeth for a long time, like raisins, dried fruit, milk, ice cream, honey, sugar, cake, cookies, hard candy, cereal, chips and soda can cause cavities. Milk, juice, formula or other sugar-containing drinks stay on teeth for a long time and cause erosion which eventually leads to cavities (that's where baby bottle tooth decay comes from). That is the obvious reason why kids dentists observe so many tooth cavities and decays in kids. Snacking is quite a habit for kids, they love sugary drinks and sweet foods and they are not that obsessive with brushing and taking care of their teeth.

If your kid complains about tooth ache, tooth sensitivity, pain when drinking or eating hot, cold or sweet things, pain when biting down or if you can see holes or pits in their teeth or pus around them, it could be a sign of cavities and you need to consult with a kids dentist. The process of decaying is reversible before a cavity completely forms, but once it's complete the lost structure in the tooth cannot be regenerated. If the childrens dentist detects the cavity in its early stages the tooth can be saved. There are ways to repair a tooth. Composite fillings, also called white fillings, is a treatment I perform practically every day as a childrens dentist at our dental office, United Dental Care. They are the same color as natural tooth and are mostly used on the teeth that are easily seen in the mouth. Although they are quite durable, they don't last forever and eventually have to be replaced. Nothing can replace a natural tooth. 

As a children dentist, I have come across a lot of young patients with gum diseases. I had this patient last week who had generalized aggressive periodontist. It's a gum disease that usually starts around puberty and affects the entire mouth. His gums were inflamed and there were heavy accumulation of calculus and plaque. I referred him to our periodontist in the office to start treatment immediately. Scaling and root planing was performed to remove the tartar on the teeth and rough spots on the root to clean up where the germs and bacteria gather. His gum disease was not advanced and he didn't need flap surgery. He had not taken the signs seriously- he said it was just slight bleeding while brushing in the beginning- but when his gums became swollen, his bad breath would not go away with brushing and flossing, and he noticed a couple of roots showing, he decided to get it checked just in case. He was lucky as he had come in just in time. If he had ignored the symptoms for a while longer, he would have lost his teeth. These diseases are aggressive and affect all teeth and gum in just a short period of time. Early treatment is essential to save the teeth and gum from periodontal diseases. I advice all parents to take their kids for regular checkups with children dentist to detect any early sign of periodontal diseases and start the treatment in early stages.
Despite the common belief, periodontal diseases or gum diseases are not just for adults, kids and teenagers are prone to them as well. These diseases can be passed through saliva from one person to the other, and that's why gum diseases usually run in the family. Hormonal changes can make gums more sensitive and therefore more prone to diseases. Some illnesses, such as diabetes and heart diseases, medications and some genetic factors can cause periodontal disease as well. Smoking and stress are other risk factors. 

I think it was almost a month ago. A nine year old girl came in with her mother, crying hysterically. Apparently she had been at the playground with some of her friends when a swing had hit her and knocked one of her teeth out of her mouth. Fortunately her mother had the presence of mind to find the tooth and put it in some milk. That is the best way to keep the tooth until you get to a dentist; in a container full of milk or saline, and make sure you hold it by the crown, not the root, when you pick it up. If you manage to get to a dentist within half an hour, there is a good chance the tooth can be put back in its place.

Anyways, they had come straight to us and we gave them top priority. The girl, Alicia, wouldn't calm down. She was scared of losing her tooth, and on top of it, she was scared of going to dentists.  It was a tough situation, as we were running out of time to save the tooth. It took our experienced dental assistants some time to calm her down. When she was ready, I did an emergency exam and when I was satisfied that the root was intact and no root canal was needed, I used local anesthetic to make sure she didn't feel any pain and was comfortable while watching her favorite movie on the screen. We managed to save Alicia's tooth and smile. She was excited and happy to have her tooth back and her mother was satisfied that her young girl didn't have to wear dentures for the rest of her life.  

They came back last week for a general check up. The previous good experience at United Dental Care had convinced Alicia to come back. She told me she wasn't scared of going to dentists anymore, and that made my day.