Data released by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry suggests that a considerable percentage of the population thinks maintaining good oral health is crucial. However, nearly 74 percent of the people fail to take their kids to a dental office even after the child’s first birthday. Compared to headaches, earaches, and tummy aches, parents consider toothaches as something lesser critical.
Unfortunately, tooth decay happens to be the most common type of infection reported amongst children. It impacts their quality of life, development, and overall health. Thus, visiting a dental office once in six months can prove to be helpful. Pediatric dentists perform the following procedures to protect the child’s oral health from tooth decay.
Fluoride Treatment
The weakening of tooth enamel triggers the formation of cavities. The best way for the remineralization of enamel is by increasing the intake of fluoride. Besides some food products and toothpaste, it is also present in drinking water supplied in county water.
Fluoride can help in strengthening enamel, especially, for children who have several decayed or decalcified teeth. However, excess intake can also damage developing teeth. Thus, the dentist can recommend fluoride treatments after checking the child’s teeth. The supplements are available in liquid, tablet and drops form.
Interceptive Orthodontic Care
It is crucial to make sure the kid’s oral health is in good form even if he or she does not complain about toothaches. Interceptive orthodontic care involves dental examinations to ensure the existing teeth are not crowded or causing bite problems. Dentists also keep track of the permanent ones and make sure they emerge correctly and are not misaligned. Interceptive orthodontics can help in changing the development of jaw position and expanding it to accommodate future permanent teeth in a better position.
Space Maintainers to Deal With Early Baby Tooth Loss
Due to dental decay, the child may end up losing teeth at an early age. The teeth next to the extraction space can change their position slightly and create trouble for permanent teeth expected to erupt at the place. To ensure that the permanent tooth gets sufficient space to erupt, dentists place space maintainers in the area to hold the space for the permanent tooth and remove it as soon as the adult tooth starts appearing.
Pulpotomy and Pulpectomy
Dental caries need to be handled as soon as possible to ensure minimum damage. But in some cases, caries has reached the tooth nerve and creates tooth abscess. As a part of the Pulpotomy treatment, the dentist removes the infected nerve, cleans the debris, and fills the tooth with a filling.
If the damage is beyond the tooth crown and has reached root parts, the dental care expert might recommend Pulpectomy. The process involves removing pulp as well as roots and replacing the same with natural material that can be absorbed by the body before the arrival of a new denticle.
Both procedures can help in extending the life of the baby teeth. These procedures are crucial for getting back the smile on the child’s face and offering relief from pain and chewing problems.
Tooth Removal
An extraction is probably an easy option when it comes to baby tooth decay. However, dentists suggest extraction should be considered as the option only if the affected tooth is causing orthodontic problems or alignment issues for the rising permanent tooth. Removing teeth can negatively impact the speaking and chewing ability of children.
Dental Cleaning After Every Six Months
Children might end up with calculus and plaque even after regular brushing. A pediatric dentist closely examines the child’s mouth and performs procedures to clean the hard tartar deposits that cause gum diseases. They also use fluoride varnish and apply sealants on the tooth’s chewing surfaces to avoid decay in the naturally occurring pits. The sealants can last for a long time.
Dental caries need to be handled as soon as possible to ensure minimum damage. Parents must control their child’s crunchy or sugary food intake to maintain good oral health.
Wish to choose the best Dentistry for Children in Roswell GA? If so, you should consider getting an appointment at TruCare Dentistry. Dr. Toral with several years of experience in helping children with a variety of treatments.