Teeth problems in children!!! This is a phrase that may seem nonsense to many parents. Parents (of course, not all of them) think their beloved children do not need to visit a pediatrician. Some parents believe that their children’s baby teeth will fall out, and it is not important to take care of them. But it is a misconception. Even if baby teeth eventually fall out, there are still many reasons to keep them healthy. An Oakville pediatric dentist recommends that children have their first visit at the dentist’s office by the age of one year or six months after their first tooth has erupted, since the early tooth decay may occur as soon as the first teeth eruption.
Understanding common pediatric dental problems and their causes or reasons will help both parents and children prevent them. Here are some common pediatric dental problems.
Tooth Decay
When a child is usually drinking sugary drinks such as milk, juice, diluted fruit juice, powdered milk, sugar water, or any other sweet drinks, a problem called the baby’s tooth decay might emerge. This baby’s tooth decay is also called nursing bottle syndrome. Breastfed infants are also at risk for tooth decay if they sleep on their mouth without swallowing milk. Not swallowing the milk will help the mouth’s bacteria feed on sugars, and it causes tooth decay. When tooth decay developed in a baby’s mouth, there may be no more space for permanent teeth, and the result can be crooked teeth or improper bites. When there is a badly damaged tooth, tooth abscess may emerge, and the resulted infection can grow to your baby’s body’s other parts. In this situation, there is an urge to go to a pediatric dentist’s office. He will have a thorough examination of your beloved teeth and suggests tips to prevent tooth decay.
Tooth Sensitivity
Tooth enamel is a protective part of the teeth. It protects the teeth from bacteria. When this tooth enamel gets thin, the tooth becomes sensitive to cold and hot foods and brings pain. Children’s tooth enamel, especially baby tooth, is weaker and thinner than a permanent tooth. So it is more sensitive. Considering the children’s oral hygiene can protect tooth enamel. The pediatric dentist will help you teach your baby to brush regularly and properly.
Thumb Sucking
Despite public belief, thumb sucking is a normal part of a baby’s development. Sucking their thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, or toys gives children and toddlers an emotional security and comfort feeling. Thumb sucking is not considered a dental problem in the period of baby teeth presence. But when your baby’s permanent teeth start to emerge, you should encourage your baby to stop thumb sucking. Since if he doesn’t stop this habit anymore, his growing permanent teeth can become out of alignment. And then this problem can cause speech problems. Giving Incentive gifts and surprising the child can help children decide for themselves to stop sucking their thumbs. You can also ask a pediatric dentist to provide ideas to stop thumb sucking.
Frequent visits with a pediatric dentist will stop all of these problems. So care about your beloved teeth, even those you believe will fall out and be replaced with permanent ones.