Dental caries or Dental decay is one of the most widely known diseases in kids. How does dental caries develop, increase and what can you do as a parent to ensure your child’s teeth?
Tooth rotting can cause agony, infection and even affect kids’ growth. Extreme decay in baby teeth can have serious consequences not only in your kid’s speech and jaw development, but also their confidence.
At Top Notch Dental Care we are passionate about educating our patients about the significance of caring about their kids’ teeth. In this article, we explain what causes childhood tooth decay and how you can prevent it from developing.
What is childhood caries?
Early youth caries is caused by the development of bacteria due to lodging of food particles upon your child’s teeth that gouge on their enamel, causing tooth decay and erosion. After some time, this bacteria destroys the surface of the tooth, creating black spots, holes or ‘cavities.’
Longer the tooth decay is left untreated, the more your child will experience the following symptoms:
- Pain and discomfort
- Higher danger of new infection in other baby and adult teeth
- More complicated and expensive treatment
- Anxiety when he visits a dental specialist because he might start to associate dentists with pain
Causes of Childhood Caries:
The following characteristics can add to the development of early childhood caries:
- Kids with special health care conditions, for example, developmental disabilities or a cleft lip/palate.
- Low birth weight
- Poor dietary/feeding propensities. Sugar is the most renowned major culprit but so is bottle feeding during the night
- Poor oral hygiene
- Debilitating conditions that weaken enamel and also promote gum disease or cause decreased saliva production
- Visible plaque on the teeth
- Caries in the kid, as the presence of even a single cavity in a young kid, is a strong risk factor for future decay
Your child’s first dental checkups:
Here at Top Notch Dental Care, we urge parents to consult with us to schedule their child’s first dental visit as soon as their first tooth erupts. It is advantageous for the initial visit to happen within six months of the eruption of the first tooth and no later than first year of age. This permits the identification of ‘at risk’ children and at the same time provide education on brushing and flossing, adjunctive preventive treatments and dietary advice. Where early childhood caries is identified, early treatment can prevent significant infection.
At this consult, we will likewise provide oral health education depending on the kid’s developmental needs, known as anticipatory guidance. As a matter of fact, it’s rather simple to avoid caries with good dental care, healthy habits, and tooth-friendly eating and drinking.
Also Read:
What Is The Best Way For My Kids To Brush Their Teeth
At Top Notch Dental Care, our team of committed and expert dental specialists cares about the health of your Child’s teeth and gums.
