Dental care has an important role to a man’s life from childhood. In fact, it is said that the seeds for an ideal dental care for children is sowed in the womb itself. This is because the nutrition intake of the mother while pregnant, affects the quality development of the child, including its teeth.
We often overlook the need of oral care in infants. But it is not to be so. Oral care should begin even before the eruption of the first tooth. Oral health and hygiene needs to be cultivated in a child from the beginning of the years. This is because; teeth development affects the quality of speech, chewing, food habits and overall health of the child.
Some of the important factors to be kept in mind while dealing with dental care in children are as follows: -
- Cleaning of infant’s gums every day after feeding
- Inculcating a habit of brushing twice daily from the eruption of first tooth onwards
- Periodic dental visits to prevent the onset cavities or tooth decay
- Creating awareness regarding the importance of oral health in the child
- Ensuring the child’s nutritional requirements is met to ensure proper growth and development.
The fact that milk teeth falls away to permanent teeth should not lead to taking oral health in children lightly. The health of milk teeth greatly determines the quality of permanent teeth as well.
Common conditions demanding dental care in children
Some of the common dental conditions occurring in children are as follows: -
- Tooth decay – usual in children due to excess sweet consumption and proper oral care
- Bad breath – due to bacterial action on residues in mouth
- Gum diseases – not common among children, characterised by red and swollen gums
- Discoloration of teeth – can be caused due to staining which leads to loss of colour of teeth
- Teething problems – discomforts in babies within 4 to 10 due to eruption of teeth
- Orthodontic problems – bite and occlusion issues occurring in children
- Skeletal problems of face – facial deformities caused at birth or due to accidents
- Habit correction – involves actions like thumb sucking, lip sucking, finger biting etc
- Sensitive teeth – caused due to exposure of dentin, the layer beneath teeth enamel.
Dr. Renju Anil is a leading paediatric dentist offering quality treatment for dental disorders in children.
Visit Us : www.kidsdental.in
Mail Us : kidsdentalkerala@gmail.com
