As kids grow up, they will have to face a number of health challenges, including dental problems. During this phase, children are still susceptible to getting infections. To avoid serious medical conditions and dangerous infections, it is important to pay close attention to your children’s oral health.
Prevention and education are your best weapons against sickness. Arming yourself with the proper knowledge about dental health issues will help you overcome the potential problems your children may face.
Here are some of the most common dental concerns in children:
1. Thumbsucking
Some toddlers find habits like thumbsucking hard to break because this usually helps them relax. If a child continues to suck on their thumb even after four years old or when the permanent teeth starts coming in, they will be at risk for alignment and bite problems. Getting rid of this bad habit can be a bit of a challenge but is not impossible.
2. Malocclusion
When the teeth are crowded or the jaws are misaligned, your child can suffer from malocclusion (or bad bite). If this condition is overlooked, teeth cleaning can become difficult and this may result to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease.
3. Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Even babies are at risk of getting tooth decay and infection when there good dental hygiene is not practiced. Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay from happening by introducing a proper oral hygiene routine early on. Choose a soft bristle toothbrush to gently clean your baby’s first set of teeth and wipe gums with a soft cloth or a gauze pad.
4. Space Maintainers
If your toddler prematurely looses a baby tooth, they may need to get space maintainers to give enough room for the permanent teeth. These corrective dental accessories help ensure that your child’s adult teeth will come in properly and in the right spaces.
5. Mouthguards
Children who are into sports may need to wear a mouthguard for protection. This safeguards the teeth and helps cushion impact that can otherwise lead to lip, face or jaw injuries. There are several types of mouthguards but the best ones are custom-fitted to provide maximum protection.
6. Sealants
Extra protection for the teeth can also be achieved through sealants. This easy procedure is done to cover the grooves of molars, providing an extra barrier against bacteria. A sealed tooth is less likely to get decay, so chewing teeth will have last longer.
7. Dental Emergencies
No matter how careful you are as a parent, dental emergencies are sometimes inevitable. However, if you have basic knowledge on how to handle these events, you can save a potentially damaged tooth. The best solution for emergencies that can’t be resolved with simple first aid is to immediately drive to the nearest clinic or hospital. But for smaller emergencies, you may still deal with them at home.
What to do during a dental emergency:
- Ease a toothache by rinsing it with warm water. If there is some swelling on your child’s face, place a cold compress on the affected area.
- For bite injuries on the tongue or lips, apply a cold compress. If there is bleeding, gently wipe with a clean gauze pad and check the severity of the wound.
- When a tooth is cracked, rinse mouth with warm water and apply cold compress on the area to reduce swelling.
- A knocked out tooth can still be salvaged if proper emergency action is done. Rinse the tooth gently, holding it by the crown and never on the roots. Try to reposition it back in the socket, if you can. The tooth must be moist at all times to keep it fresh. If it can’t be placed back in the socket, put it in milk or inside the mouth while you are driving to the dentist.
