 Pediatric Dentistry |
| Pediatric dentistry is the provision of dental care and treatment to infants and children through adolescence. The very young, pre-teens and teenagers require unique approaches in managing their dental needs, behavior, growth and development. They also require professional as well as parental guidance to achieve a lifetime of dental health. |
| Baby Bottle Tooth Decay : |
This is a condition where a child gets tooth decay that is caused by frequent and long exposure of the teeth to liquids that contain sugar like milk (including breast milk), fruit juice and other sweetened drinks.
Sweet liquid pools around the child’s teeth causing production of acids that attack the tooth enamel, which eventually may cause tooth decay. |
Prevention :
- At bedtime, if you must give your child the baby bottle, it should contain WATER only
- Encourage your child to drink juices from a cup prior to his/her first birthday
- Infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age
- Oral hygiene should be started with the eruption of the first primary tooth
- Make sure to take your child to the dentist for a general checkup within 6 months of eruption of the first tooth and no later than his/her first birthday
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| Thumb Sucking : |
| It is a natural reflex for infants and young children to suck their thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or any other objects. But this natural habit becomes a problem if the child does it for a very long period of time, i.e., after eruption of the permanent teeth. This may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment. |
Prevention :
- Regular visits to the dentist to examine your child’s oral health and monitor the effects of sucking on his/her oral health, which will help your dentist to determine whether or not dental problems may result.
- Discuss your concern about thumb sucking or use of pacifier with your dentist who may recommend the use of a mouth appliance
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| The Importance of Baby Teeth : |
Most parents ask this question:
Q: Why worry about baby teeth decay if they will be replaced by permanent teeth later?
Following is our answer based on years of scientific research:
Baby teeth play an important role in the developing of the permanent teeth of your child, they have several important functions:
1. Baby teeth maintain the proper spacing and alignment of the teeth so that permanent teeth have enough space to come in. Loss of space for permanent teeth will lead to these teeth to shift and thus causing orthodontic problems for your child.
2. Baby teeth affect the ability of your child to speak properly and clearly.
3. Baby teeth are very important for healthy biting and chewing. Without these teeth your child might not be getting the proper nutrition.
4. The pain and infection associated with decay is just as harsh in baby teeth as in permanent teeth.
Prevention:
Follow the steps in prevention of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay and Tooth Decay to help your child maintain healthy baby teeth. |
