Decay tooth in childhood.
Nowadays we have noticed that awareness amongst the parents regarding their children oral care as well as spirit of enquiry on the topic is increasing. As i said in the previous posts that TIME does matters in dentistry and above that prevention is better than cure, to get accustomed to the saying i have tried to educate the parents regarding their childs dental care .
WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD TOOTH DECAY? CAN IT AFFECT MY CHILD? : As soon as the first tooth appears the child is susceptible to the condition known as early childhood caries or early childhood tooth decay. This condition occurs primarily in the upper front teeth and in severe cases it can destroy them . In some unfortunate cases children even infants have expirenced such severe tooth decay that it has been necessary to perform dental restorations or extraction on them . Tooth decay is caused by prolonged contact with the sweetened liquids or with the almost any liquid apart from water especially when the remenants are left clinging to the teeth for long periods. The liquid gathers around the upper front teeth and back teeth creating a perfect environment for bacteria to initiate tooth decay. Many sweet liquids cause problems including milk and fruit juice . Bacteria in the mouth use thse sugars as food. They then produce acids that attack the teeth. Each time the child drinks these liquids acid attacks for 20 minutes or longer. After many such attacks the teeth can decay. Remember that is not just what you put in your childs bottle that causes decay but how often and for how long time than bottle with the sweetened liquid is given.Similarly , continued use of a sweetened pacifier or breast feeding at will without cleaning the childs teeth can cause a similar pattern of early childhood caries. The good news is that decay is PREVENTABLE propviding proper precautions are taken by parents to preclude it .
HOW TO DECREASE THE RISK OF CHILD TOOTH DECAY :
* wean a child from the bottle or breast feeding by the age of one
* Use spill proof cups as transtional step in the devlopement of children, not as a long term solution.
* Do not allow children to use spill proof cup for snacks and meal times when increased salivary activity helps clean the teeth.
* Let the child drink sugary breverages through a straw, The best spill proof cups to protect against decay are those with a collapsible rubber straw .
* Do not dip your childs pacifier in honey or sugar .
* Do not let your child go to sleep with a bottle of milk or any sweet substance in his or her mouth, if necessary let the child sleep with a bottle filled with water to prevent sugar clinging to the teeth .
* The use of fluoride is also an effective method of prventing tooth decay. Make sure your child brushes with the fluoride toothpaste and if necessary ask the dentist for fluoride supplements for him or her.
* Dental sealants also help in the prevention of tooth decay. Sealants are transperant or tooth colored palstic like coatings, that cover the pits and fissures on the tooth structure. Sealants applications does not damage the tooth structure or require the use of anesthesia Sealants are safe and painless and they take only few minutes to apply. if properly cared for they can last for many years and your child through the most cavity prone years .
*Remember that even that healthy aletrnative fruit juice can contribute towards tooth deacy, By all means let your child drink juices liberally but make sure that the mouth is well rinsed after doing it .
* Introduce oral health care habits as early as possible , make sure that your child is trained in regular brushing and rinsing in all seriousness because no treatment can be better than that of CAREFULL HOME CARE .
WHAT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD TOOTH DECAY? CAN IT AFFECT MY CHILD? : As soon as the first tooth appears the child is susceptible to the condition known as early childhood caries or early childhood tooth decay. This condition occurs primarily in the upper front teeth and in severe cases it can destroy them . In some unfortunate cases children even infants have expirenced such severe tooth decay that it has been necessary to perform dental restorations or extraction on them . Tooth decay is caused by prolonged contact with the sweetened liquids or with the almost any liquid apart from water especially when the remenants are left clinging to the teeth for long periods. The liquid gathers around the upper front teeth and back teeth creating a perfect environment for bacteria to initiate tooth decay. Many sweet liquids cause problems including milk and fruit juice . Bacteria in the mouth use thse sugars as food. They then produce acids that attack the teeth. Each time the child drinks these liquids acid attacks for 20 minutes or longer. After many such attacks the teeth can decay. Remember that is not just what you put in your childs bottle that causes decay but how often and for how long time than bottle with the sweetened liquid is given.Similarly , continued use of a sweetened pacifier or breast feeding at will without cleaning the childs teeth can cause a similar pattern of early childhood caries. The good news is that decay is PREVENTABLE propviding proper precautions are taken by parents to preclude it .
HOW TO DECREASE THE RISK OF CHILD TOOTH DECAY :
* wean a child from the bottle or breast feeding by the age of one
* Use spill proof cups as transtional step in the devlopement of children, not as a long term solution.
* Do not allow children to use spill proof cup for snacks and meal times when increased salivary activity helps clean the teeth.
* Let the child drink sugary breverages through a straw, The best spill proof cups to protect against decay are those with a collapsible rubber straw .
* Do not dip your childs pacifier in honey or sugar .
* Do not let your child go to sleep with a bottle of milk or any sweet substance in his or her mouth, if necessary let the child sleep with a bottle filled with water to prevent sugar clinging to the teeth .
* The use of fluoride is also an effective method of prventing tooth decay. Make sure your child brushes with the fluoride toothpaste and if necessary ask the dentist for fluoride supplements for him or her.
* Dental sealants also help in the prevention of tooth decay. Sealants are transperant or tooth colored palstic like coatings, that cover the pits and fissures on the tooth structure. Sealants applications does not damage the tooth structure or require the use of anesthesia Sealants are safe and painless and they take only few minutes to apply. if properly cared for they can last for many years and your child through the most cavity prone years .
*Remember that even that healthy aletrnative fruit juice can contribute towards tooth deacy, By all means let your child drink juices liberally but make sure that the mouth is well rinsed after doing it .
* Introduce oral health care habits as early as possible , make sure that your child is trained in regular brushing and rinsing in all seriousness because no treatment can be better than that of CAREFULL HOME CARE .
posted by dr yogesh girme at 2:29 AM
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