Dental Milestones: Ages 10-14

Proper care for your adolescent’s teeth from ages 10-14 will set them up for a lifetime of health and confidence. By 12-13, all their baby teeth are usually gone, and they are well on their way to developing into adults.

Keep reading to discover more about dental development for teens and pre-teens.

What Oral Developments To Expect From Your Child From 10-14

By age 10, you’ve seen your child grow so much! Permanent teeth replace baby teeth, and jaw muscles continue developing.

A general timeline for permanent teeth in this age range includes the following:

How Often Should My 10-14 Year Old See A Dentist?

Has your child had their orthodontic screening yet? If not, they should have one soon to help catch any orthodontic issues that may require braces or oral appliances in the coming years.

Your child should see their dentist twice per year for cleanings and check-ups. Your child’s dentist can assess the overall health of your child’s teeth and create a custom treatment plan if needed.

Keeping Your Adolescent’s Teeth Healthy From 10-14

As you monitor your child’s dental progress, watch for the following:

Tooth wear caused by grinding
Crowded teeth
Crooked teeth
Jaw alignment

Alignment issues can make it difficult to eat and chew and may cause disruptions that can affect your child’s sleep and mood.

This is the time when pre-teens and teens become more independent and have more agency over their diet, making it a crucial age to establish habits of brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day.

Monitor Sugary Foods & Drinks

Sugary foods and drinks feed the bacteria that build on our teeth and gums. Hard candies, breath mints, and cough drops contain sugar and dissolve slowly, increasing the amount of contact the sugar has with teeth.

Your child should minimize the amount of sugar they eat and rinse their mouths after eating candy and other sweet foods or drinks.

Dental Sealants For Incoming 12-Year Molars

Your child’s 12-year molars will have deep grooves that can be difficult to clean. Nearly 90% of your child’s cavities will occur in these molar grooves. Dental sealants are a coating placed over the back teeth to prevent food, bacteria, acid, and plaque from collecting in the grooves.

Brushing twice a day is essential to keeping your child’s teeth healthy, but don’t forget to floss at least once daily to clean the surfaces between the teeth the brush can’t reach.

For an effective flossing technique, have your child follow these instructions:

Use a strip of floss 6-10 inches long
Wrap the ends of the floss around their fingers
Carefully press the floss between the teeth
Curve the floss around each tooth
Use a back-and-forth motion to clean the teeth
Bring the floss to the gumline
Repeat for each tooth

Starting a healthy dental routine as early as possible will help your child get used to properly caring for their teeth.

Some bleeding from the gums is normal at first. The blood should stop when the gums become stronger. If bleeding continues for over a week, give your dentist a call.

Healthy Dental Habits

As your child becomes more independent and takes control over more aspects of their life, it is critical they have healthy dental habits. The knowledgeable team at Milestone Kids Dentistry are here to help create an enriching and fun place to learn more about dental development in pre-teens and teens.

Schedule an appointment today with our dentists in Washington to ensure your child has a healthy smile that will last a lifetime!