Children and tooth decay

It is the one in a child's teeth, typically in the upper and lower incisors. Caries is the destruction of enamel and dental tissue (dentin) due to the action of bacteria in the mouth.

Causes

Before, only the improper use of the bottle as a cause of cavities and that is why they were also called "bottle tooth decay." It is now known that early childhood cavities are caused by exposure to sugar, the action of bacteria in the mouth, and the resistance of the tooth.

Early childhood cavities can be caused by excessively prolonged use of the bottle, pacifier (especially if it is smeared with sweet substances), glasses with spouts and the abuse of drinks and sweet foods.

Frequent and prolonged exposure to sweet liquids (packaged juices, sweetened drinks, use of sugar, carbonated drinks, sweets, chocolates) causes bacteria in the mouth to use these sugars as a source of energy to form acids that attack tooth enamel. If the child is continuously offered sweet liquids, tooth decay is ongoing rather than occurring at mealtime.

Which specialist treats childhood cavities

The dentist who specializes in children is called a pediatric dentist. He is the professional who is more qualified to take care of children since he has been specially trained and trained, both technically and psychologically, and he will be able to apply it without major complications.

Treatment

The first thing that the pediatric dentist will take into account is the degree of affectation of the caries. For this, the safest thing is to help yourself with a dental X-ray. Before any diagnosis or treatment, you will always keep in mind that there is a definitive piece that is already inside the bone and in a state of formation.

When the infection reaches the germ of the definitive piece, there is no choice but to carry out the extraction, since otherwise it could cause a bad formation of the definitive piece.

The materials used to make nerve treatments in milk teething they are different than those used for adult teething.

You have to think that milk teeth They have different characteristics and that in them cavities advance rapidly to the nerve. This is due to the fact that in milk teeth the proportions of enamel and dentin are much smaller than in the permanent dentition. So the nerve is proportionally much larger.

Psychology

He takes into account the age of each child and their degree of maturity. For this reason, it has several techniques so that the child does not get scared by everything that happens in the consultation.

To begin with, you should avoid transmitting to the child the anxiety that one of the parents may have in front of the dentist and the dental office. Most likely, this anxiety has its origin in childhood. And that is precisely what we want to avoid. Fortunately, times have changed dramatically and going to the dentist doesn't have to be an unpleasant experience.

In the first visit, it is most likely that he will not do more than a diagnosis. There are parents who often insist on treatment the same day as the first visit, but it is usually counterproductive. For a child it is already enough stress to go to the dental office, sit in an armchair that moves, meet the doctor, let yourself be looked at and get an X-ray ... Enough for a single day.

Prevention

The pediatric dentist will teach the child a good brushing technique and will advise families on foods and habits that are not recommended for good dental health.

The check-ups, in children, will be carried out every six months since this way it is easier to detect the problems in time to establish the appropriate and more effective treatment.

• Tooth decay in children is five times more common than childhood asthma.
• The pediatric dentist is the most appropriate professional to treat caries in a child.
• In addition to the most appropriate treatment, this professional takes into account the age and degree of maturity of the child.