How important is to take proper care of milk teeth?
Owing to their structure milk teeth are much more prone to tooth decay than permanent teeth. This is why prophylaxis and regular check-ups at an early age are essential. Read on to find out what the consequences of neglecting milk teeth dental care are and how it affects the development of permanent teeth.
Tooth decay in primary or milk teeth may be caused by a number of factors including bad eating habits and incorrect oral cavity hygiene. Tooth decay sometimes appears in milk teeth soon after they erupt. Early tooth decay may be caused by pathological pregnancy, incorrect diet of the mother or premature birth of the child. Interestingly, another factor at play is the condition of the parents’ teeth – bacteria causing tooth decay can easily be transmitted from the parents’ oral cavity into the child’s mouth.
Unfortunately, tooth decay in milk teeth develops rapidly, which may cause tooth damage or tooth loss and many adverse complications occurring also beyond the oral cavity.
What milk teeth tooth decay looks like
The symptoms of early milk teeth tooth decay or caries is a white matt stain on the tooth enamel. At this stage, the problem can easily be fixed by the dentist who performs a remineralisation treatment and secures the tooth against further decay with fluoride. Once the caries stain becomes dark and develops a rough surface treatment becomes more complicated. This symptom means that not only the enamel is affected by decay but also the dentine. Unfortunately, the infection can also reach as far inside the tooth as the pulp.
Consequences of non-treatment of milk teeth
Parents should bear in mind that untreated primary teeth may produce pain symptoms owing to the spreading of caries and other focal infections of the heart, kidneys, and other bodily organs. The health of the digestive system is also at stake – tooth decay and missing teeth hinder proper chewing, which may affect the way food is digested.
It often happens that milk teeth decay quickly spreads onto adjacent permanent teeth. Unerupted permanent teeth are also in danger of getting infected with caries-causing bacteria. They are prone to deformation and discoloration because of advanced infections of milk teeth and surrounding tissue.
What is more, teeth affected by deep caries must be extracted. Unfortunately, missing teeth disrupt the natural process of proper bite development. This is why it is so important to take proper care of the primary dentition of your child up until the time of physiological replacement of milk teeth with permanent teeth. Furthermore, an incomplete set of teeth can also affect the speech development of the child and lower their self-esteem.
When is the best time for an orientation appointment?
Milk teeth prophylaxis ought to commence as early as possible, preferably when the child turns one. The child’s first ever dental experience should be an orientation appointment aimed at getting the child acquainted with the dental clinic, the dental equipment, and the dentist. Thanks to this initial visit the child will find it easier to get accustomed to the new environment and will overcome their natural fear of the unknown. During the orientation appointment no treatment is performed and the dentist only exams the little patient’s teeth and discusses any problems that are identified with the parents. The parents also learn how to take care of milk teeth at home. The orientation appointment is the first step to building a good and friendly relationship between the child and the dentist. Check-up dental appointments should be held every three months or so.
What to remember?
Bear in mind that the parents’ own attitude towards dentists may impact the way the child feels about dental treatment. It is crucial for the parents to avoid using negative terms and expressions when talking about dental treatment such as “pain”, “extraction”, “injections”, “needles”, etc. and refrain from soothing the child with assurances along the lines of: “You will feel no pain at all”. Instead, parents or carers should focus on positive reinforcement and highlighting the pleasant aspects of dental treatment and visits to the dental clinic. “We recommend that parents of very young children schedule their appointment at the right time of day. Preferably, this should be the time when the child is well rested and in a good mood”, explains xxx, Maxx Clinic owner. “At our clinic we respect our young clients and treat their needs very seriously. This is why we keep investing in state-of-the-art solutions, treatment methods and equipment. Our goal is to create a friendly atmosphere for children, so we set up a play corner at our clinic for our young patients to relax in while waiting for their appointment””, xxx adds.
Daily milk teeth hygiene
Apart from regular check-up appointments it is essential to follow the right oral hygiene routine at home right from the start. Even before milk teeth erupt you should wipe the baby’s gums after feeding with sterile gauze pads soaked in lukewarm water. After the eruption of teeth replace the pads with a soft toothbrush and baby toothpaste. Brush the child’s teeth twice a day. It is important not to give the child any drinks or food except for mineral water after brushing teeth before bedtime. Parents should brush their children’s teeth until they are eight years old, but at the same time they should also encourage the child to learn how to properly use the toothbrush under their supervision. The best methods for brushing milk teeth are the circular and rolling techniques.