The oral cavity is the part of the body that influences the health of the entire body. The state of our health in the adult age is directly related to how we took care of it in childhood. It would seem that children’s dental problems are insignificant, and the use of some dental braces could solve them all instantly. However, children’s dental affections are very diverse, with long-term or short-term effects, but can easily be overcome if proper oral hygiene is respected and regular visits to a dental office specialized in children’s dentistry are not ignored. If you manage to take care of your child’s teeth and follow correct methods of treatment, you will certainly improve the general condition and health of the child.
Each dental affection has its own specific methods of treatment. Just like your own cases. At an early age, some children may already have the symptoms of any of the following dental conditions.
Orthodontic problems
Orthodontic problems are most common among children, but adults are not an exception. Considering rather an aesthetic problem, orthodontic problems affect many chapters of everyday life in addition to the unpleasant aspect of the teeth. Among the worst are digestive problems caused by the decrease in the effectiveness of mastication, and the gums are affected. Another effect of not treating these problems is the difficulty of expression.
The causes of the occurrence of orthodontic problems (and, thus, use of brackets) are the vicious habits formed since childhood such as:
- sucking the finger,
- sucking a pacifier for a long time,
- intensive breastfeeding,
- early tooth decay,
- excessive touching the teeth with the tongue.
There is also a possibility of genetic predisposition to orthodontic problems. If you notice that sometimes your child has problems with mastication, crooked teeth often bite his cheek, his chin is positioned too far behind or too far, the spaces between the newly formed teeth are too big or there are vicious habits that continue after he is 2 years old, then it’s time to consult with an orthodontist.
The good news is that orthodontic problems can be solved at any age by giving them the right treatment (the right type of dental braces – brackets). It is advisable to start the treatment as early as possible because the treatment period is shorter and you will enjoy a perfect smile and proper digestion for longer.
Thus, the optimal age of use of a classic orthodontic appliances is considered to be from 5 to 12 years old, with the teeth being much more malleable and easy to model at this age.
The problem of sucking your finger or a pacifier (after 2 years) can be remedied at home by the parents by applying a bitter substance to them. Although this is a natural reflex through which the little ones try to get to know the surrounding world, a long practice will make the brackets necessary.
How long does the orthodontic treatment last and what effects it has?
The orthodontic treatment can take from 6 to 24 months. To increase efficiency and maintain the good and functional condition of that dental braces applied to the child, it is necessary to check them at your stomatologist monthly. It will track the rhythm of the healing, and may change certain aspects of the treatment.
Orthodontic treatment has many beneficial effects on the health of teeth, but also on the general condition of the body:
- Orients the growth of jaws so that the eruption of permanent teeth is achieved in a favorable environment;
- Orients the growth of permanent teeth in the correct position;
- Matches the size of the dental arches;
- Reduces the risk of accidentally injuring the front teeth;
- Corrects and decreases the frequency of vicious habits in advance;
- Decreases the risk of growing crooked teeth;
- Ensure that the appearing teeth grow in such a way that those who erupt have sufficient space;
- Prevents the appearance of similar problems;
- Provides healthy teeth and a pleasant smile.
Dental caries
Cavities are the most common tooth disorder, and children are also affected by these. Caries appear because of prolonged contact of the food with the teeth. The first cavities that injure the little ones are the caries caused by the fact that the baby is left with the bottle at night or a long period during the day. Milk or sugary products on the bottle remain in contact with the teeth of the child, will favours the multiplication of bacteria, which will then produce acids, which will remove the calcium from the thin enamel of the milk teeth. This caries are specific to babies up to 3 years old and can have an aggressive action on how permanent teeth erupt.
The first signs of caries are the dental sensitivity to multiple external stimuli such as temperature variation, sweet foods, but also prominent changes in color and enamel structure: stains.
Caries prevention, in fact, requires the elimination of the causes of their occurrence.
The constant oral hygiene of the oral cavity will improve and prevent the appearance of caries. In particular, you should know that incorrect oral hygiene is usually the most common cause.
Avoiding sugary foods, sweeteners and long-term use of the bottle are equally useful, and combined with proper oral hygiene will produce the desired effect, namely: caries prevention.
Specialists in pediatric stomatology propose besides these methods of caries prevention some ways of intensive care for them in children. This is done by filling. Caries teeth are treated through the fillings of colored cement, which are accepted by the little ones without any problems. Appearing in the field of pedodontics, colored composite materials can be easily used and even understood by the child, having the choice of the color of the obturation.
Treatment of tooth decay of young children should not be prioritized as it can cause premature tooth extraction, problems with food mastication, and often unbearable pain.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a dental condition represented by the inflammation of the gums. The main cause that can cause gum inflammation in children is, first of all, poor oral hygiene – incorrect or rarely performed.
Vicious childhood habits also occur in the case of gingivitis. Here we talk about the habit of biting and stuffing in the mouth a variety of objects or toys that are not in a good hygienic state.
The treatment of gingivitis follows the same principle: removing the cause, which involves changing the hygiene of oral cavity and educating the child.
Consulting a stomatologist from a good dental clinic is also a great idea, because he will prescribe a treatment tailored to your child’s situation and monitor how it is going.
Halitosis
Halitosis is known to us as bad smell from the oral cavity. Its symptoms do not need to be described, causes and prevention being primary to this disease.
Bad breath can also indicate the presence of other dental problems. Dental caries that do not cause pain, often are discoverde through bad breath.
Going deeper, poor or lacking oral hygiene is the main cause of unpleasant breathing, growth of bacteria.
Halitosis can be easily treated by giving your baby a model of dental education, teaching your child to properly clean his teeth. Very important is the brush he uses, a recommended brush being soft or medium/small brush, but also the toothpaste used. Also, teach him the movements to practice, perhaps even in a funny way.
Sometimes, halitosis is a symptom that accompanies affections such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, gastritis or pancreatitis. Thus, if your child suffers from such a malady, the bad smell of breathing is most likely present.
A consultation at a dental clinic for children in Chisinau or at least one with specialists in pedodontics is always an optimal solution, as doctors in the field will perform a professional check and will be able to provide you with the best practices and tips to treat the small afflictions quickly.
Dental problems can stand out at any age. Their emergence at an early age, however, is a sign that parents need to pay more attention to the baby’s lifestyle. It is essential for your child to understand the importance of dental hygiene from early childhood because it is when the body begins to prepare for the eruption of permanent teeth. And how you keep your teeth healthy in childhood will directly affect their condition at maturity. A periodic dental consultation is a compulsory ritual if you want the baby to have a healthy and properly positioned teeth.
Ask the specialists in the field at the dental clinic in Chisinau Imperial Dent and get the best dental services in the city.