Common Teeth Diseases In Children And How To Prevent Them

Tooth cavities, trauma, pulp involvement, dental swelling, developmental disturbances, and oral habits are common teeth diseases in children. Chronic dental problems can be jarring for children to deal with, as it interferes with eating, speaking, playing, and learning. On that account parents should maintain oral hygiene as the baby’s first tooth erupts.

Teeth diseases in children

Dental caries in children: It is one of the common dental problems in the child. When food particle accumulates on the tooth surface, bacteria feed on them. They produce acid which slowly dissolves the outer layer of teeth- enamel. Bacteria live in cavities and further reach deeper layers of teeth.

Twice brushing, flossing and rinsing after every meal help in the prevention of cavities in children.

Types of caries:

• Early childhood caries: ECC or rampant caries involves many teeth and quickly spreads. It is present in milk teeth as well as permanent teeth. It is due to improper feeding and dietary practices, lack of oral hygiene awareness or deprived dental care.
• Nursing bottle caries: Nursing bottle caries are one of the common baby teeth problems found in infants and toddlers. Caries developed due to keeping the milk bottle in the mouth for a long time, such as while sleeping. The carriers are presented as dark brown spots in the front teeth. On progression, it might cause pain and swelling.

Nursing bottle caries can be treated with restorative treatment and avoiding sugary food.

Dental abscess: If tooth decay is neglected, it may progress to deeper layers. When the pulp of the tooth gets involved, it may form swelling at the root. It is known as a dental abscess. It may cause swollen gums, redness, and throbbing pain.

Regular dental visits and treatment of decayed teeth can help to avoid such complications.

Gum problems: Bleeding gum, red and swollen appearance, and bad breath are signs of paediatric gingivitis. Children are always not able to clean the plaque from the gum line, which leads to the accumulation of food particles inside gums and infection.

Regular flossing, the right brushing technique and the use of mouthwash can prevent gum problems.

Oral habits: Mouth breathing, thumb sucking, or tongue thrusting are some of the habits considered harmful for developing teeth.

Thumb sucking habit for a prolonged time can cause open bites which affect a child’s eating as well as speech. Chronic mouth breathing can lead to sleep disorders or vice versa. In mouth breathers, the elongated face will develop if not corrected in time.

Kids depend on habit to soothe their anxiety, therefore parents should be watchful of their behaviour. There is habit breaking appliance available to get rid of bad oral practices.

Malocclusion: Abnormal overlapping of teeth can be due to developmental disturbance in facial structures (upper or lower jaw) or mal-aligned teeth. It may affect a child’s appearance, chewing process, moreover the psychosocial well-being. Open bite, midline shift, deep bite, front teeth crossbite etc are types of malocclusions in kids.

Early detection and treatment of malocclusion are beneficial for children. Orthodontic correction may require mouth or facial appliances.

Though teeth diseases are common in children, their prevention is possible with effective oral hygiene. Oral health is a mirror of general health. Thus, parents can restore and improve the dental health of children by motivating them to follow good hygiene habits.

How can we help?

Vigour360 facilitate comprehensive health checkups in schools with cutting-edge technology. Early detection of teeth diseases is possible through advanced dental screening.

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