Many dental problems occur in children of different ages, from infants to kids to teenagers and older children, and parents must stay prepared to deal with them effectively. Most of the dental problems that affect children are similar to those faced by adults except for the ones faced by infants that result from thumb sucking. However, no parent should take their children’s dental problems lightly because many of these can be pretty painful and even affect the teeth’ health when they grow up. Parents must ensure the best dental health for their children by taking them for regular dental checkups, which can help avoid situations called for emergency dental services Lincoln NE. Promoting oral health and practicing good oral hygiene for your child from infancy should help avoid normal dental problems.
Tooth decay
Cavities are the most common dental problems for children that dentists consider a chronic disease. According to CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), 20% of children in the US between 5 and 11 have at least one tooth with cavity left untreated, and the same applies to 13% of teens between 12 and19 years. Leaving tooth decay untreated can result in infection, pain, missed school, and difficulty with speaking, chewing, and learning problems.
While dentistry for kids and adults can address tooth decay problems for people of all ages, it is better to take some preventive steps to keep children healthy by addressing the root cause of the disease. Since children are often unable to follow the correct brushing and flossing techniques, it leads to plaque buildup that eventually damages teeth by causing decay due to plaque’s acidic nature.
Proper supervision of brushing and flossing should help to prevent the problem to a great extent.
Tooth sensitivity
Sometimes the teeth might become sensitive to food items and cause a severe sensation when consuming some food or drinking beverages. Tooth sensitivity can disrupt your child’s normal life and create distraction and discomfort. Several factors are responsible for tooth sensitivity ranging from cavities to enamel wear and acid erosion, newly erupted permanent teeth, a cracked or missing filling, teeth grinding, and orthodontic treatment.
For tooth sensitivity, a variety of treatments are available that can reduce the pain and discomfort of your child. Since most of the causes of tooth sensitivity relate to some dental problems, visiting a dentist at the soonest should help to bring things under control.
Thumb sucking
While some oral habits like babies using pacifiers, sucking a thumb or finger is quite normal, stretching it beyond a certain age or when the habit turns into something like teeth grinding and tongue thrusting can affect the jaws’ alignment and teeth. It would require some orthodontic treatment or may even lead to surgery when the child grows into a teen or even during the adult years. Teaching the child some techniques that aid behavioral correction can ensure that the oral development remains on track. Sometimes dentists use some habit- breaking appliance tailor made for the child, which can help block the habit entirely or prevent contact of the thumb or finger with the backside of the upper front teeth. It acts as a deterrent so that the kid finally gives up the habit.
A loose or damaged tooth
Children lose their milky or baby teeth naturally after attaining a certain age to make way for permanent teeth. However, there are occasions when the tooth loss does not happen naturally but rather in a forceful and untimely manner. Losing baby teeth pre-maturely is one of the common dental problems among children, which, if left unattended, can result in crowding. As soon as you detect some tooth damage in your child that affects the baby’s tooth, consult a dentist immediately who will try everything possible to save the tooth. If there is an infection or the tooth is dead, and it is a permanent tooth, the dentist would recommend a root canal treatment and a crown to retain the teeth and their functionality. However, if the problem occurs with a baby tooth beyond rescue, the dentist would provide a dental space maintainer to allow time for the permanent teeth to come up properly.
Gum disease
Gum disease affects children too, and gingivitis is an early signal about the disease that can be pretty infectious and painful. Typically portrayed by red and swelling gums accompanied by slight bleeding during brushing or flossing, suitable dental treatments can cure the disease. Mainly it affects children who have poor oral hygiene, which results in gum infection that can be very painful and lead to tooth loss.
Besides, orthodontic problems related to tooth shape and positioning affect children, but definitive treatment is available to set things right.
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