6 Common Dental Problems in Kids

September 1, 2020

Parents should always ensure the well being of their children’s dental health. Right from when your baby’s first tooth appears, you should promote good dental hygiene habits to keep dental problems at bay. This article discusses the dental issues common in kids and adolescents.

Tooth Cavities/ Decay

Unsupervised, your kids may not be proficient in their brushing and flossing. This, coupled with their unhealthy diet of sugary foods, can pose a huge health risk. Plaque is responsible for tooth decay. It contains an acid that eats away the enamel, eroding your tooth.

Until your kids can firmly hold their toothbrush, you should supervise their oral hygiene routine and help them where necessary. As they brush, ensure they remove bacteria, plaque, and lodged food particles from their teeth to reduce the risk of a tooth cavity. In case they develop tooth decay, our Gillette dentist at Mountain West Dental may recommend a tooth filling. The procedure involves taking out the decayed part and using composite material to fill the void.

Tooth Sensitivity

Having sensitive teeth is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Sensitive teeth can also disrupt your child’s concentration. Tooth sensitivity may be a result of several factors, so it is important that you bring your child to our dentist near 82716 for checkups after every six months to detect the underlying issue. Here are some of the factors that may be responsible for tooth sensitivity in your child:

  • Tooth decay
  • New permanent teeth
  • Acid erosion
  • Orthodontic treatment
  • Bruxism
  • Cracked or missing filling

Dental Emergencies

Because kids are playful beings by nature, dental emergencies are bound to happen as they play. The result of these accidents may be chipped, cracked, or broken teeth. In severe cases, the tooth may come out completely. If this happens, call your dentist in Gillette, WY, before proceeding to find the tooth. Once fund, place it in a glass of water with a pinch of salt or a container with milk. At the dentist’s, they may place the tooth back into its socket using a retainer. It is advisable for your kids to wear mouthguards to avoid some sports-related injuries.

Gingivitis and Gum Disease

Most people think that gum disease is an adult-only problem. This isn’t the case as anyone can have this disease. Although used synonymously, these are two completely different diseases. Gingivitis always precedes gum disease though this does not mean that anyone that suffers from gingivitis will have gum disease at the end.

Gum disease is characterized by swelling and pain in the oral cavity and gum recession. Two factors are responsible for gum disease: poor oral hygiene and overcrowded teeth. Perhaps if kids brushed and flossed regularly, the disease wouldn’t be so rampant.

Excessive Thumb Sucking

To soothe anxiety, most kids turn to thumb sucking as a coping mechanism. This isn’t a problem in babies, but it should worry you as a parent if your now-grown child is still sucking their thumb. Prolonged sucking of the thumb significantly impacts your child’s teeth development.

This behavior may result in an open bite- a condition where the upper and lower jaw do not fit properly when the mouth is in a resting position, thus leaving a void. This causes difficulties in biting, chewing, and even speech.

Dental Anxiety & Phobias

If it takes a lot of willpower and courage for adults to make that dreaded visit to the dentist, then you can imagine how things are for children. Dental anxiety and phobia are real, and there is no such thing as outgrowing it. The anxiety makes it hard for kids to go for routine dental exams and cleaning. This can continue into adulthood and have a severe impact on their dental health.

So, how do you combat this condition? You can do this by ensuring your kid receives dental care in a relaxed, enjoyable, and fun environment. Go for a dentist with experience attending to anxious kids and has a plan to ease their anxiety. You can also teach your kids the essentiality of dental care and incorporate it into their routine, so they no longer have to be scared.

At the end of it all, what counts is whether or not you will be a good example to your kids by brushing and flossing with them.

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