Cavities can be commonly seen in child’s teeth since they eat more cavity-causing foods and are less fond of oral care. In fact, a cavity in kids is one of the leading dental problems in young patients. According to dentists, if the child’s teeth were not cleaned properly since the eruption of their baby teeth, they might develop tooth decay. The family dentists from ADCDubboDentist.com.au suggest that in order to prevent this, it’s important to teach them oral hygiene as early as possible.
Causes of Cavity In Kids
There are several reasons why cavities occur in kids. Primarily, cavities take place when plaque build-ups start to eat the enamel of the teeth, which causes little holes. What is a plaque? It is a sticky substance that sticks to the teeth, plaque is formed when bacteria, acid, and saliva are combined in the mouth.
The good news is that cavities can be prevented with oral hygiene. Regular brushing and flossing are the keys to avoiding this teeth problem. But we all know that kids tend to forget brushing from time to time. Most of the time, their focus is on playing and doing fun activities. This is the reason why parents need to take a close look at their child’s dental health.
It’s important to note that kids are unable to brush properly by themselves until they reach the age of 6. To teach them independence, let them brush their teeth but with your supervision. Let them know the proper stroke of the brush, how to clean their tongue, the proper way to floss, and the right products to use.
What Should You Do
Cavities are hard to find. So it’s important to know the signs and symptoms so you can check if your child has them. Some of the indicators of a cavity in kids are:
- tooth has dark spots
- white spots on the tooth
- crying and irritability
- tooth sensitivity to cold and hot food
- swollen mouth
- no appetite
- inactivity
If the child is still not capable to talk and express how they feel, a parent must take these symptoms seriously to prevent further damage. Set an appointment with their pediatric dentist right away if you think that your child has a cavity.
Treatment For Cavity In Kids
Children and toddlers may receive dental fillings to fix the issue. Fillings are one of the safest dental solutions to treat cavities and prevent them from developing further.
So how will the dentist treat the child’s teeth?
First of all, the tooth decay will be removed, after that, the filling will be applied to the hole to close it thoroughly. Dental fillings can come in 2 different forms, a white composite, and a metal filling. This will prevent the cavity from growing and save the kids’ teeth purposes. Speaking of metals, you may visit https://starsheetmetal.net.au/, if you need a partner for your projects.
In severe cases, the dentist might recommend a dental crown. That is if the tooth is still savable. However, if tooth decay has spread out widely, tooth extraction might follow. The dentist will place a space maintainer to keep the gap open for the permanent tooth.
Kids are commonly uncomfortable during dental visits. So in order to keep them calm and relaxed during the procedure, they might be given laughing gas or anesthetics to numb the treatment area.
Preventing Cavities
Keeping your kids safe from cavities is one of the best ways to protect their overall health. After all, it’s been said that the mouth is the window to the body. This means that if their teeth are healthy, then they are healthy in general as well.
To make sure that your kids don’t develop cavities, we advise:
- Monitor their dental health regularly.
- Teach them the proper way to brush and floss.
- Don’t forget your appointments with the dentist. Visiting the doctor every 6 months is a great way to protect kids from cavities.
- If you have a baby, don’t neglect infant oral care. Use a clean, soft cloth to wipe the inside of their mouth.
- Watch what they eat. Kids are avid fans of anything sweet. Try to replace sugary foods like ice cream and chocolates with foods like yogurt, fruits, and cheese sticks.
Importance Of Treating Cavities
You might think that those baby teeth will eventually be replaced by permanent teeth. So why bother having them treated by the dentist? Baby teeth play a huge part in your child’s dental health, it allows them to practice chewing, biting, and speech. Moreover, it will have a significant impact on the eruption of their permanent teeth.
Listed below are the reasons why you need to treat the cavity in your child’s teeth:
- It affects their nutrition as it hinders them from eating healthy and nutritious foods.
- This might also cause bite problems that would require a dental appliance to fix.
- Affects the eruption of adult teeth and might even cause teeth to misalign.
- Have an impact on their ability to speak properly, hence, resulting in poor self-esteem.
- Might cause toothache that gets worse over time. Thus, resulting in poor performance in school and activities.
- Causes infection to grow which affects healthy teeth and gums.
Baby teeth may be temporary but that does not mean that their health is unimportant. Parents need to protect their kids’ teeth to ensure that they grow healthily and happily. Remember that most adults these days with serious dental conditions have started with neglected cavities when they were younger.
