Children

Children - From Birth to 6 years of age

CAUTION: IT IS NORMALLY ADVISABLE TO AVOID FLOURIDE CONTAINING PASTES IN CHILDREN UNLESS SPECIFICALLY ADVISED BY A DENTIST. MANY REGIONS IN INDIA HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF FLOURIDE IN WATER!

1. Teeth at birth or soon after birth - neonatal teeth

       Sometimes your child might be born with a tooth usually the lower incisor (front tooth) or it might erupt soon after birth much earlier than normally expected. These teeth are usually 'extra' teeth that have to be removed to prevent difficulties with breast feeding or injuries to the baby's tongue .

2. Cleft lip &/or palate.

    This problem commonly referred to as 'harelip' is correctable. Depending on the health of the child surgical correction may be done early or your dentist might advise the use of something like a small plate to be worn inside the mouth to block the defect in the roof of the mouth to prevent the child from 'breathing' milk or water accidentally & coughing or choking.

3. No or few teeth.

    In some conditions the number of teeth that are formed are fewer than normal. If you feel that your child has not got his or her full set of teeth  you can consult your dentist . If it is a simple case of delayed eruption the teeth are still inside & can be seen with an X-ray. Certain procedures can be performed to help the teeth come out in some cases.

4. Eruption dates & teething problems

    A lot of variation has been noticed in what can be called the right time for a child to have his or her teeth erupt. It would be wise to schedule regular visits with your child specialist to monitor your child's vaccination schedule & general physical & mental health. Kindly do not get unduly anxious over details of development as some children might experience a slight delay but be otherwise extremely intelligent. The same holds good for the eruption of teeth & associated irritability seen sometimes in children referred to as 'teething trouble'. Teethers made of clean rubbery materials are ideal in stimulating the eruption of teeth. So instead of trying to stop your child from putting everything they see in their mouths give them lot of chewable toys/playthings that will also help with the eruption of teeth.

5. Brushing.

    Once your child has got those beautiful teeth it is the initial responsibility of a parent to train a child in keeping those teeth clean & healthy. Wide circular handled 'baby brushes' with super soft bristles are available to teach your child the importance of brushing or for you to clean them. 'Finger brushes' for the mother to use on her finger are also available. Brushing before going to BED ( be it in the AFTERNOON or NIGHT) is extremely important because left over food particles are the main cause for most spoilt teeth. Avoid FLOURIDE containing pastes if your water flouride levels are sufficient or already high

6. Nursing bottle caries

   Never leave a feeding bottle with milk in a baby's mouth after putting your baby to sleep. There is a danger of milk flowing into the airway of the child. There is also the danger of the milk remaining in the mouth being the cause for the extensive decay of a lot of your child's teeth. Always give your child some water after the milk & if the child is grown up enough insist on brushing before going to bed.

7. Thumb sucking & Other habits.

   At a very young age thumb sucking is a normal reflex seen in babies but must be gently & firmly discouraged later as this can lead to your child having teeth that are protruding or sloping out. Some children have a habit of pushing their tongue out & this habit referred to as tongue thrusting can also lead to protruding teeth. If the child is unable to control certain undesirable habits like these your dentist can help you out. An example is making something for the child to wear in the mouth which prevents the tongue from being pushed out.

8. Professional cleaning

      If your child's teeth are not kept clean a gradual build up of deposits referred to as tartar or calculus will occur. This is nothing but 'hardened plaque' & needs to be professionally removed by your dentist to keep your child's teeth & gums healthy.

9. Fillings & Root canal treatments.

    Prevention is always better than cure as Enamel is one of the hardest substances in your child's body. One additional way of prevention apart from keeping your child's mouth clean is for a dentist to apply a 'PIT & FISSURE SEALER' that seals off the minute surface grooves & pits preventing food particles from getting stuck there. In the event of tooth decay the decayed portion is removed & a suitable filling may be placed. If unfortunately the decay is very deep & has involved the  sensitive pulp giving your child lot of pain a portion of the pulp can be removed in a pulpotomy or the entire pulp might have to be cleaned out & the tooth & root filled up to save the tooth from an extraction.

10. Extraction & space maintainers

   The only situation where an extraction is helpful is if it is the way of an erupting permanent tooth or if the permanent tooth has already erupted beside it. In all other situations where a damaged tooth is being removed the space left behind must be maintained so that it doesn't get closed by the back teeth drifting forward as this will form an obstruction for the proper eruption of the permanent tooth below the extracted tooth.

 

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