Common dental issues in children

We all want our children to have beautiful and healthy smiles (the Tooth Mouse included), but sometimes cavities, chipped teeth, and other teeth issues can cause dental problems that require a trip to the dentist.

Many of the dental disorders that affect children are the same as those that affect adults, but your child’s teeth are still forming, and they are softer than their permanent counterparts. Untreated dental diseases can result in poor and mismatched tooth development, which can lead to more significant issues as a child develops.

Here are the most frequent dental disorders in children, as well as tips on how to avoid them.

Cavities

Without supervision, most young children are incapable of cleaning and flossing their teeth. Cavities can become a serious concern when combined with the fact that some children may have a sugar-heavy diet. The acid in plaque essentially eats away at the enamel, eventually eroding the tooth.

Children should be supervised and assisted in brushing their teeth until they can grasp and manage a toothbrush on their own. Ensure that your children remove plaque, bacteria, and food particles from their teeth on a daily basis to help avoid early tooth decay. If a cavity does form, the standard treatment is a tooth filling, which entails drilling away the decay and filling the hole with a strong composite material.

Big teeth emergencies

A dental-related injury might occur when a child is playing sports or falling while riding a bicycle or climbing a tree. These mishaps can cause teeth to chip, break, or crack. In more severe cases, a permanent tooth may be totally knocked out.

If your child’s permanent tooth falls out, contact the dentist right once to schedule an emergency appointment to collect the tooth. Put the tooth in a glass of milk, saline solution, or clean water to soak. The dentist may be able to re-insert the permanent tooth into the socket, allowing it to reconnect with the aid of a retainer.

Gingivitis and gum disease

Gingivitis and gum disease can affect children and are actually quite common in paediatric dental patients. Gingivitis is the forerunner to gum disease, and it is frequently characterised by red, swollen gums and minor bleeding when your child brushes or flosses.

Gum disease is more aggressive in youngsters who do not practice good oral hygiene. Pain in the mouth, gum recession and swelling are all common symptoms. Gingivitis and gum disease may have been avoided in the majority of instances if more care was taken to brush and floss daily. In some cases, your child’s teeth may come in so crooked and crowded that they are unable to adequately clean them, resulting in gingivitis or gum disease.

Orthodontic issues

Children rarely have perfectly straight teeth without orthodontic treatment. Fortunately, there are numerous orthodontic procedures available to help your child or teen smile confidently. Orthodontic issues are frequently the consequence of heredity, with the size and form of the jaw influencing how your child’s teeth grow and come together. Overbite, underbite, open bite, and spacing abnormalities are some of the most frequent misalignment concerns observed in youngsters.

It’s a good idea to schedule your child’s first orthodontic appointment when he or she is seven or eight years old. Orthodontic issues can result in more than simply a crooked smile. Significant overcrowding and misalignment of your child’s teeth can lead to jaw difficulties, damaged teeth, and poor oral hygiene.

Thumb-sucking

Thumb-sucking and pacifier use are common ways for newborns, toddlers, and small children to relieve anxiety. It does not become a dental problem until the child is older and continues with this behaviour, as continuous thumb sucking can cause problems with how a child’s teeth form. As a result, parents should not let the tendency persist past the toddler stage.

Chronic thumb sucking and pacifier use are the most common causes of an open bite. An open bite occurs when the upper front teeth do not meet the lower front teeth, resulting in a gap even when the mouth is closed. This might make it difficult for your child to bite and chew, and it can even interfere with their speech.

Bad breath

Bad breath, often known as halitosis, can afflict anyone, regardless of age. Chronic foul breath in youngsters, on the other hand, may indicate a deeper underlying issue than simply eating stinky foods.

Bacteria that dwell in the mouth are ultimately responsible for halitosis. These bacteria colonies feed on leftover food, fluid, and plaque, producing hydrogen sulfide as they do so, resulting in a foul odour in the mouth. Children, like adults, have the worst terrible breath in the morning, right after they wake up. Bacteria proliferate in the mouth during the night, resulting in “morning breath”. If your child’s terrible breath lingers throughout the day, it most likely suggests a greater problem.

Gum disease, poor dental hygiene, and dry mouth are the most prevalent causes of halitosis, but other conditions such as chronic sinusitis, diabetes, tooth decay, and digestive difficulties can also contribute to bad smell. The way medicine degrades in the body can sometimes result in unusually odorous breath.

The greatest technique to treat and prevent bad breath is to practice good oral hygiene. An antibacterial mouthwash may help minimize odours and cleaning the tongue may aid in the fight against bacteria in the mouth.

Loss of baby teeth

For many youngsters, the first loose tooth is a hopeful indicator that the tooth fairy will soon pay them a visit, and their small “baby tooth” will be replaced by a “grown-up” one. Tooth loss is a normal developmental stage. The first tooth to fall out is usually one of the centre front teeth, which loosens around the age of six. Molars are typically not lost until a child is between the ages of 10 and 12, and most youngsters have their full set of 28 permanent teeth by the age of 13.

Many children experience a little discomfort when losing their primary or “baby” teeth. However, if it refuses to fall out or is causing pain in the child, it may be time to see your dentist.

The majority of loose teeth are caused by the eruption of a permanent tooth beneath the primary tooth, but some are caused by injury or trauma to the tooth before it is ready to fall out. If your child’s tooth becomes loose before it should, take them to a competent dentist; they’ll do everything they can to save the tooth so that the permanent teeth develop properly.