It is said that a stitch in time saves nine – this statement also applies to your dental health. Just like early childhood is the right time to inculcate good habits and values in children, it is also the perfect time to start taking dental health as seriously as general health.
Humans have two sets of teeth – only milk teeth until the age of 6 -7 years, only permanent teeth after the age of 13-14 years. The period from 6 -7 years to 13-14 years is called the mixed dentition period, where the child shows sequential shedding of the milk teeth and subsequent eruption of the permanent teeth. Milk teeth not only help the child eat well, but also play a very important role in their speech development, their looks and their overall health. Children with bad oral hygiene usually have dirty looking decayed teeth and their mouth emits a foul odour. A milk tooth that has decayed can cause severe pain and swelling to the child. Also, the child is unable to eat properly due to this. A decayed milk tooth that has to be removed much before its actual shedding time can have an effect on the eruption of the permanent teeth. The space caused by a missing tooth usually closes due to the movement off surrounding teeth into that space. This leads to crooked teeth and also causes malocclusion of permanent teeth. Such kids need braces for correction of their malocclusion. Hence, it would be more than wise to care for your child’s milk teeth. It is because of these reasons that there is a whole branch of dentistry called Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry that is dedicated to caring for the oral health of children.
More often than not, we have seen parents not caring much for their children’s milk teeth because of the fact that they are eventually going to shed away. This is a very big mistake on their part. The child’s nutrition, speech and confidence is affected. The most common excuses parents give us are, “My child is scared of the dentist”, or “There was no good dental clinic near me” or “We didn’t think it is important to treat a milk tooth since it is going to fall anyway”. The best policy would be to not make excuses and instead focus on building healthy oral care habits for your child. Prevention is always better than cure and treatment is always better late than never.
Here’s some things you could do as a part of early dental care for your child:
1. Early dental care starts during your pregnancy. Be sure to have a healthy balanced diet as this is the time your child’s teeth begin to develop.
2. Clean your baby’s gums and tongue after each feed with a moist soft cloth wrapped on your finger. Never put your baby to sleep with a milk bottle to the mouth.
3. Start six monthly dental check-ups for your child once the first tooth erupts. This will help in early identification and correction of any dental problems.
4. Early on, inculcate the habit of brushing twice a day, rinsing the mouth after meals and limiting the amount of sugary foods.
5. Learn about decay preventive treatments for your child such as Fluoride applications and Pit and Fissure Sealants.
6. As soon as you notice decay on your child’s tooth, visit the dentist and get it treated. A simple filling today can avoid a future root canal or extraction.
7. If your child needs to have a milk tooth pulled out, check with your dentist if he/she needs a space maintainer. This helps prevent malocclusion.
8. Explain your child the importance of a balanced diet that is rich in calcium and fibre for his/her dental health.
If you’re thinking, “Is there a dental clinic near me for kids?”, look no further… The Maxfac Clinic is right in South Mumbai at Lamington Road. To know more about dental care for kids, please get in touch with us on +91 8879745345. We are a Super-Speciality Dental Clinic for kids of all ages, including those with special needs.