Children often get cavities in their teeth. Even though kids lose their baby teeth, they still need to care for them and keep their mouths clean. Frequent trips to the dentist emergency and avoiding foods high in sugar can help prevent cavities in permanent teeth from getting worse.
Up to 27% of kids ages 2 to 5 have cavities in their primary teeth that haven't been taken care of. Even though baby teeth fall out, taking care of them is essential because they make room for adult teeth.
Causes
When plaque builds up on teeth, it traps acid-making sugars that eat away at the enamel and cause cavities.
Causes include:
Bad diet: A diet high in sugar causes acid to build up on the enamel, which weakens it and makes it more likely that cavities will form. Also, eating snacks often feeds the plaque, which causes more damage.
Bad oral hygiene: not brushing well enough lets acids stay on teeth longer. After every meal, the acids in sugary foods start to hurt your teeth.
Genes: Some kids get cavities because their genes weaken their enamel. Some of these factors are the shape of your teeth and how much saliva you make.
Location of the tooth: Molars and premolars are more likely to get cavities because of where they are in the mouth and because they have grooves and pits that make it easy for cavities to form.
Symptoms
When a child has early tooth decay, there are no visible signs. As a hole gets more significant, a hole will show up. Some signs are:
- A cavity is shown by a light brown spot on a tooth.
- Teeth with white spots that are signs of decay
- Sensitivity to cold or hot drinks and food has grown.
- Pain or discomfort in or around the tooth.
When to Go to the Dentist
Please don't wait until your child has cavities to take them to the 24-hour emergency dentist. Health experts say you should take your baby to the dentist for the first time when their first tooth comes in or by the time they turn one. From then on, you should take your kid to the dentist every six months.
If your child is in pain or shows other signs, you should take them to the dentist. Based on the results, the dentist will do an oral exam and suggest either keeping an eye on it or getting treatment.
Treatments
Even if you don't treat cavities in baby teeth, they can still cause pain, discomfort, swelling, and infections, just like in permanent teeth. Bacteria grow and multiply in the infected tooth, which affects the bone below.
Permanent teeth will be hurt if the mouth is full of bacteria. Getting cavities filled in baby teeth can protect the health of the adult teeth.
Choices for treatments
Depending on the decay's bad, your dentist may suggest more than one way to treat it. Some of the choices are:
- Fixing up, or fillings
- Remineralization
- Taking out a tooth
Conclusion
Baby teeth are temporary, but they are essential. It would help if you treated your toddler's dental checkups with Emergency Dental Care the same way you do their regular checkups.