Moms and dads often receive a ton of conflicting advice.
We appreciate how much parents care about their kid’s dental health.
The Popular myths include:
Baby teeth aren’t important, after all, they’re just going to fall out anyway.
Caries should not be treated in milk teeth as these teeth will shed.
My child can brush his/her own teeth.
I don’t need to take my child to the dentist until he starts school.
Facial structure is God gift so leave it as such
Oral care should begin soon after the baby’s birth. Gums should be cleaned after each feeding with wet cloth on finger. Good dental health is established early in life.
Oral care should begin soon after the baby’s birth. Gums should be cleaned after each feeding with wet cloth on finger. Good dental health is established early in life.
You can begin brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they appear, using wet cloth on finger. Later super soft tooth brush can be used.
Dental problems can arise at a very early age and so it is recommended that the first appointment should be when the first teeth come through, usually between 6 months and 1 year old. After your first visit, schedule regular visits every 6 months or as your dentist recommends.
Ideally, your child’s first dental visit should be by the first birthday. Your Dentist will check for decay and other problems, teach you how to clean your child’s teeth and identify your child’s fluoride needs. If your baby has dental problems caused by injury, disease, or a developmental problem, see your pediatric dentist right away.
Yes. When babies are teething they often have sore and tender gums. The pain usually can be soothed by gently rubbing the baby’s gums with a clean finger, a small, cool spoon or a wet gauze, or you can use on the counter Teethers.
Yes, during Teething mild fever and diarrhoea may occur due to infection but If your child has an elevated temperature, it needs to be addressed as a separate medical concern.
Bacterial plaque derives from the accumulation of bacteria in the oral cavity and cause both caries and gums problem. Plaque can be controlled by maintaining good oral hygiene procedures, or in specific cases, you may also need to get rid of it using professional dental services.
You can consult our office to learn the best way of brushing for your kid
Milk teeth are just as susceptible to tooth decay as adult teeth. The frequent ingestion of sugars along with poor brushing usually leads to the appearance of caries.
Letting your child sleep with a bottle full of anything other than water is like soaking teeth in sugar and cause severe damage to most of teeth. Plain water is usually best. The sugar in juices or milk formulas can cause tooth decay, leading to cavities, dental discomfort, and even tooth loss. – not a good option for anyone’s teeth.
Yes. If untreated, caries may cause the early loss of milk teeth or infection can spread to underlying permanent teeth and damage teeth. It often having consequences in terms of the positioning and alignment of the final set of teeth. Milk Teeth has to be maintained till the permanent teeth erupts
Caries are usually treated with dental fillings. In some cases we might need RCT and Dental Crowns
Yes. Kids may need RCT if pulp is involved, but kids RCT are different from RCT in Permanent teeth.
As a Child ‘s permanent teeth erupt, the Dentist can prevent cavities from forming with the help of Topical Fluoride, Dental Varnish Application and Pit & Fissure Sealants, treatment. Sealants are a safe, painless and low-cost way to help protect your child’s teeth from decay.
Fluoride is a vital component in the prevention of dental caries and it is recommended to take it between 6 months and 16 years old.
To prevent the appearance of caries, the application of Dental Varnish is frequent. Speedy and painless, it is possible to seal the majority of the teeth of a child at just one appointment.
Consult us for the advice. Fluoride and Varnish application increases the tooth resistance to dental caries if applied according to proper protocol. The doses of fluoride are defined and the respective modes of administration (tablets, gel, drops, mouthwashes), depending on the specific needs of the various age group.
Fluoride application is a single sitting procedure done usually once every six months to make the tooth structure stronger and prevents cavities.
The sealant is bonded to the chewing surfaces of the molars and premolars, and thus prevents these teeth from decay.
Best time to apply sealant is, six months after the tooth has erupted.
Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in before decay attacks the teeth.
The first permanent molars called “6 year molars” come in between the ages of 5 and 7.
The second permanent molars “12 year molars” come in when a child is between 11 and 14 years old.
Other teeth with pits and grooves also might need to be sealed.
Life of a sealant depends upon your chewing pattern. But sealants can last up to 8 years.
Conclusion
- Sealants + Fluoride + Varnish = Maximum Protection Against Cavities
Dental Varnish and Topical fluorides are sometime called as Dental Vaccine
Poor jaw positioning and malocclusion affect many children that can affect facial growth, so regular monitoring of facial growth and tooth development is vital so as to take early action and determining the need to use growth alteration modalities or Braces
Sucking is a natural behaviour for babies. Many infants begin sucking their thumbs or using pacifiers within three months of birth. Neither habit generally poses a dental problem if it discontinued before the child’s teeth erupt.
Apart from eating, chewing and esthetics milk teeth help in maintaining space until a permanent tooth erupts. If milk teeth falls prematurely, the teeth beside it may move into the empty space resulting in lack of space for the permanent teeth, leading to crowding.
Space loss due premature shedding of milk teeth can be prevented by the use of Space Maintainers. It is more affordable-and easier on your child –to keep teeth in normal positions with a space maintainer than to move them back in place with orthodontic treatment.