As a parent, you are charged with looking after your kid’s health. Unfortunately, unlike adults’ teeth, kids’ teeth are more prone to dental problems. Dental cavities, one of the most prevalent dental issues, affect over 40% of children before they get to kindergarten.
Although baby teeth are eventually replaced with permanent teeth, it is vital to uphold their health while they last. Here are some of the common problems and how to combat them.
Baby bottle tooth decay is also referred to as childhood caries or nursing bottle syndrome. The syndrome occurs when the baby’s teeth are always in contact with sugars from sweet drinks such as fruit juices.
Breastfeeding infants can also contract the syndrome if they fall asleep with unswallowed milk. Since the bacteria in the mouth feed on sugars, this easily causes tooth decay. Failing to treat tooth decay leads to pain, hence the child can neither eat nor drink comfortably. A long term consequence can be crooked permanent teeth in the future.
You can protect your baby from baby bottle tooth decay by following these tips
Children derive emotional security and comfort from sucking. They suck everything from their thumbs to pacifiers to their toys. However, you should be worried if the sucking goes beyond the age of five. By then, permanent teeth start growing and thumb sucking poses a risk. Thumb sucking can lead to protruding teeth, and your kid could as well end up struggling with the pronunciation of some words.
To help your kid quit the habit, encourage them, and refrain from negative reinforcement such as scolding. For older kids, try to find out the root cause of the problem and fix it instead. For instance, your kid might be sucking his/her thumb out of stress.
If all efforts don’t bear fruit, get dental care appliances for kids from the already identified ‘children’s dentist near me’.
Early tooth loss is caused either by tooth decay, injury, or inadequate jaw space. If your child loses their teeth before the permanent teeth set in, the adjacent teeth can tip or shift. Therefore, permanent teeth might emerge tilted.
In the case of premature tooth loss, the pediatric dentist can recommend a space maintainer. The device holds the gap left by the missing tooth open and is only removed once the permanent teeth begin to appear.
Booking a doctor’s appointment might be an easy task for you. However, the child can be intimidated. Therefore, you have to make them as comfortable as possible. Here are a few tips.
We all fear the unknown. To create familiarity, show your child some relevant pictures from the dental clinic’s website. Let the child know what to expect from the dentist. For instance, let them know that the dentist will tell them to open their mouth wide and use some dental tools. The more they know, the better.
Although the child dentists know how to deal with kids, your physical presence makes your kid feel safer. Ensure that the dentist’s appointment aligns with your day off to support your child.
We should not wait until a problem arises to seek dental emergency services. Seek referrals about ‘children’s dentist near me’ and make regular visits. Make your child know that teeth are precious, and we have to take good care of them.
That way, they will appreciate visiting the dentists, and maybe even look forward to the next visit.
Your child will only grow two pairs of teeth. Therefore, you don’t want to take chances in the hands of mediocre practitioners. When looking for “childrens dentist near me” you should ensure they have an active license.
