THIS IS WHY YOUR CHILD’S MILK TEETH ARE SO IMPORTANT

Baby teeth play an important role in your child’s overall health, development, and well-being. They are vitally important for the future life of a child.

Just because your child’s baby teeth eventually fall out, and are replaced by permanent teeth doesn’t mean they are not important.

Baby teeth are very important to your child’s health and development. They help children chew properly, speak clearly and smile. They hold space in the jaws for permanent teeth which develop underneath them, into their correct positions, and also help muscles to develop correctly.

Baby teeth begin to develop beneath the gums during the second trimester of pregnancy, but teeth really start to erupt through the gums between the ages of 6 months to one year after birth.

Most children have a full set of 20 baby milk teeth by the time they are 3 years old. Even though they will eventually be replaced by permanent adult teeth, baby teeth are very important and should be well looked after, checked, or fixed if there is a problem.

When a baby tooth is lost too early, other teeth may move into the empty space and block the way for a permanent tooth. This can make teeth crooked or crowded.

Baby teeth are prone to cavities just like adult teeth. Once the decay sets in, it can spread quickly and lead to pain and infection, or abscess without proper precautions. This can be especially harmful to children because their immune systems are not fully developed.

If a tooth becomes infected and needs to be extracted, your Dentist will recommend inserting a space maintainer because the guide to hold the space for a permanent successor (baby tooth) is lost. If space is not preserved, other teeth may drift, causing difficult-to-treat crowding, or other problems when permanent teeth come in.

Neglect of primary teeth can result in a number of problems. It has been found that children who experienced tooth decay in their baby teeth, had a greater risk of developing tooth decay in their permanent teeth, than children who maintained healthy primary teeth.

Proper hygiene through brushing, flossing and professional cleaning of baby teeth is essential for the development of healthy permanent teeth, as decay can happen at any age. That’s why starting infants off with good oral care can help protect their teeth for decades to come.

The key is to start positive habits at an early age. The most important aspect of taking care of your child’s baby teeth is the example you help to set.

Baby teeth set the stage for a lifetime of happy and healthy smiles.

Fluorides

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs abundantly in a great variety of food as well as the water that we consume daily. Every_day, minerals are added to, and lost from a tooth’s enamel layer, mainly through two processes, referred to as demineralisation and remineralisation. Minerals are lost (demineralisation) from a tooth’s enamel layer when acids — formed from plaque bacteria and the sugar in the mouth — attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate are redeposited (remineralisation) to the enamel layer from the food and the water that we consume. Too much demineralisation without enough remineralisation to repair the enamel layer, leads to tooth decay.

Restoration Specific for Kids

Primary teeth are vital to ensure the later growth of adult teeth, therefore it is vital that they are maintained.

Habit Breaking Appliances

These are appliances, made by a Dentist, to combat untoward habits in children. These habits are thumb sucking, finger biting, nail biting, lip biting, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting etc.. The appliances can be fixed or removable.

Painless One Sitting Root Canal

Pulpotomy is a procedure in which all the infected material above the canals, within the crown portion of the tooth, is removed. This is the decay extending into the pulp, but not into the root. If the pulp root remains unaffected by injury or decay and the problem is isolated to the pulp tip, the Dentist may leave the healthy part alone, and only remove the affected pulp and surrounding tooth decay.

When should I schedule my Child's first visit to the dentist?

Most parents are unsure about when to take a child to a dentist. Ideally a child's first visit should be when the first tooth erupts in the mouth and no later than age one to two. From the first visit onward, we recommend that children come in every six months unless an emergency dental problem comes up.

What happens at the child's first dental visit?

The first visit is an orientation visit where the child gets familiar with the dental office, dental chair and instruments. This visit is use by the dentist to develop a rapport with the child and create trust. A check-up of the child’s mouth is advisable.During the examination your dentist will check your child's existing teeth for decay, examine your child's bite, and look for any potential problems with the gums, jaw and oral tissues. If indicated, the dentist will clean any teeth and assess the need for fluoride.

How can I prepare my child for the first dental visit?

• To prepare the child to be comfortable in the dental surroundings, parents must start preparing the child a few days prior to the appointment.
• At no time, the child should be made scared of a dentist by telling the child that we will ask the dentist to remove your teeth or give you an injection.
• Parents should speak about going to the dental appointments using positive connotation both before and after each visit.
• You should never talk of the words like drilling, painful, hurt, pain, injection and needle.

What if a child has a dental emergency?

A tooth emergency can happen to a child, any time or anywhere. Your child might fall, break / knock out a tooth or might have swelling. Depending on the situation, you may need to consult your child’s paediatric dentist.
• If a child falls and permanent tooth comes out: Comfort and calm your child. Locate the tooth, pick it up and be careful not to touch the root. In case the tooth is not dirty or broken, try to place it into the empty socket in your child’s mouth. Have your child hold the tooth in place by biting on a clean cloth. But in case the tooth is dirty, broken or you cannot reinsert it, put the tooth in a glass of milk or a saltwater solution and contact your pediatric dentist immediately.
• If a child cuts or bites his/her lip, cheek or tongue: It can lead to bleeding or swelling and to relieve these symptoms, just apply direct pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. If there is swelling, apply a cold compress. Finally, you can consult your dentist and give pain relief medication.
• If a child has a toothache: Visit your child’s dentist as soon as possible to find out what is the cause for the toothache. Do warm salt water rinses.

How do I clean my 1 year old’s teeth?

Baby teeth begin to erupt around six months of age and before they erupt, it is advisable to clean their gums with a damp washcloth to wipe away any harmful bacteria. Once their teeth begin to emerge, take some cotton dipped it in warm water, squeeze out the excess water and wipe the teeth with this wet cotton. At 18 months you can use a soft baby tooth brush and a pea size amount of low fluoride toothpaste to brush your child’s teeth. The parents will have to help the child in brushing their teeth for the first few years.

What happens if the dental infection is left untreated?

The most common symptom of a tooth infection is that the child complains of a toothache. If the sore and throbbing tooth is left untreated, it could become infected and spread to other places in your body. It can lead to a swelling which makes it difficult to fully open the mouth. If the infection is not treated it can lead to severe symptoms like:
• Fever
• Swelling
• Difficulty in breathing
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Red gums
• Severe pain on chewing or biting

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