Dental hygiene tips for healthy teeth & gums
All children can be at risk for cavities, and many things can contribute to it. Thus, the CDC estimates that tooth decay, also known as Dental Caries, is one of the most frequent chronic diseases experienced by children.
A child should have dental check-ups every six months because a dentist can give the child preventive care, assess caries risk, and look at teeth and the rest of the child’s mouth. If your child has a cavity, you are not alone, and over one-quarter of children have at least one cavity by the age of 4.
Many variables can cause caries in kids, including tooth topography and location, diet, types of bacteria, and salivary composition. First, consider how often your child snacks during the day. Every time they eat or sip anything other than water (milk, juice, sports drinks), food particles or a sticky residue remain on the child’s teeth.
We all know that snacks such as crackers or goldfish do not contain sugar, but their carbohydrates remain in their mouth and turn into simple sugars. Bacteria then feed on these sugars and produce acid, hence causing cavities. This is how it is (even if we manage to reduce our children’s sugar consumption) ‘normal’ food and beverages can lead to cavities. Another discovered that increased usage of snacks between hours likely leads to increased cavities.
A dental filling is usual for toddlers and children with one or more tooth decay. Transparent fillings can be done on either permanent teeth or baby teeth. In the work done here, the dentist removes the decay and then uses white filling material or metal to fill the hole. Capping is also used to restore a tooth that forms a cavity in baby teeth so that it can be saved.
It is likely advantageous to save a tooth because, typically, if one loses their baby teeth before the adult teeth are ready, space, summoning adult teeth, would be adversely affected. Baby teeth also help your child chew their food and speak correctly. Dentists perform fillings on kids and toddlers, including those too young to be one or even two years old.
If the teeth are badly decayed, the dentist may advise you to have a crown generally made of silver.
At other times, if the tooth is severely diseased or infected, you may need to have this baby tooth pulled out. If your dentist pulls out the tooth, then as you grow up, your permanent teeth will be able to grow in the right places using a space maintainer.
Of course, it can be complicated to get young children to sit for a dental procedure. Some dentists will administer nitrous oxide or laughing gas to calm children during the procedure.
They still have to inject the numbing agents into gums, but laughing gas generally makes this very convenient. A dentist can also give your child an oral sedation before the procedure.
Your dentist may suggest splitting the sessions if your child has several cavities. The advantage of making several trips is that it becomes almost soothing to the child, as he or she does not have to sit in the dental chair for many hours.
Your dentist may suggest your child be put to sleep for the dental procedures. This is called general anesthesia and is often done for young children, those with many cavities, and children who can’t sit still.
Genetics is also crucial; however, instilling good nourishment habits is the most effective method of avoiding cavities in your child.
If your child is a little picky eater, especially when it comes to sweets, there is always an option of availing healthier foods that are sweet to taste but will not harm their gums or teeth.
Those holes in our teeth are not exclusive to adults and can occur in children and even toddlers. Therefore, it is helpful to know early signs of a cavity, and when this has been observed, it is right to consult the dentist to take care of your child.
The fillings will stop tooth decay from progressing; thus, the child’s tooth can be saved. By consuming less sugar and practicing good dental hygiene, you can help guard your child’s teeth so they will not need fillings. Contact Beaumont Dentist TX for more information.