Oral health problems in children

There are a number of problems that affect oral health in children, including tooth decay, thumb sucking, tongue protrusion, lip sucking, and early tooth loss. While baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth over time, keeping baby teeth healthy is important for a child's overall health and well-being.

Baby bottle tooth decay

Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when a baby's teeth come into frequent contact with sugar in drinks such as fruit juices, milk, infant formula, fruit juice, diluted water. , sugar water or any other sweet drink. If breastfed babies go to sleep with unswallowed milk in their mouths, they are also at risk of cavities. Bacteria in the mouth feed on sugar, causing cavities.

If left untreated, decayed teeth can cause pain and make chewing and eating difficult. In addition, milk teeth save space for adult teeth. If the baby teeth are damaged or decayed, they cannot help guide the permanent teeth into the correct position, which can lead to crowding or crooked permanent teeth. Severely decayed milk teeth can lead to dental abscesses with the possibility of spreading the infection to other parts of the body.

How to prevent baby bottle tooth decay ?

Here are some tips to prevent baby bottle tooth decay :

During the day, to calm or comfort your baby, don't give a bottle filled with sugary drinks or milk; instead, give plain water or a pacifier.
Never dip your baby's pacifier in sugar, honey, or any sugary liquid.
Don't put your baby to bed with a bottle filled with sugary drinks (watered-down fruit juice or milk still increases the risk of decay). Give a small amount of plain water or use a pacifier instead. Too much water is harmful to a baby.
If your baby is nursing at night, make sure you remove your breast from your baby's mouth when she falls asleep.
Don't add sugar to your baby's food.
Use a wet cloth or gauze to wipe your baby's teeth and gums after each feeding. This helps remove any bacteria-forming plaque and sugar that have built up on the teeth and gums.
Ask your dentist about your baby's fluoride needs. If your drinking water is not fluoridated, fluoride supplements or fluoride treatments may be needed.
Teach your baby to drink from a cup by his or her first birthday. Moving to a "sippy cup" lowers the teeth's exposure to sugars, but constant sipping from the cup can still result in decay unless it is filled with plain water.

Thumb sucking

It is normal and healthy for babies to suck on their thumb, fingers, pacifier, or toys. Sucking on objects gives babies a sense of emotional security and comfort. But if thumb sucking continues past age 5, when permanent teeth begin to grow, dental problems can occur. Depending on the frequency, intensity, and duration of suction, the teeth can move, causing them to protrude and form a malocclusion. Your child may also have difficulty pronouncing words correctly. In addition, the upper and lower jaws may shift and the palate may become deformed.

Tips to help your child stop thumb sucking

First, remember that thumb sucking is normal and shouldn't be a problem unless the habit persists as the permanent teeth begin to erupt.

Children must make the decision to stop sucking their thumb or fingers before the habit goes away. To help achieve this goal, parents and family members can offer support and positive reinforcement. Because thumb sucking is a defense mechanism, negative reinforcement (such as swearing, harassment, or punishment) is usually ineffective; they make children defensive and bring them back to normal. Instead, praise or reward the time spent avoiding the habit. Gradually increase the time without sucking to get a reward. The younger the child, the more often the rewards should be. For children who want to stop, cover a finger or thumb with a bandage as a reminder. Remove your thumb or index finger from your mouth as soon as your child is asleep.

To help older children kick the habit, you should try to find out why your child is doing it: find out what causes stress in the child and try to fix it. Once the problem is resolved, it is often easier for your baby to stop breastfeeding. If that doesn't work, there are braces your child can wear in their mouth to prevent sucking. These devices attach to the upper teeth, sit on the palate, and make thumb sucking difficult and less enjoyable.

Tongue thrusting

Tongue thrusting is the habit of closing the mouth for swallowing by pressing the tip of the tongue against the lips.

Similar to thumb sucking, tongue thrusting puts pressure on the front teeth, displacing them, causing them to protrude, creating an overbite and possibly interfering with proper speech development.

If you notice symptoms of thumb sucking, contact a speech therapist. This doctor can develop a treatment plan to help your child increase chewing strength and develop a new way of swallowing.

Lip sucking

Lip sucking involves repeatedly holding the lower lip under the upper front teeth. Lower lip sucking can occur alone or in combination with thumb sucking. This practice results in malocclusion and the same problems as thumb sucking and tongue sticking out. Quitting the habit involves the same steps as quitting thumb sucking.

Early tooth loss

Premature loss of milk teeth in a child usually occurs as a result of caries, trauma or lack of space between the jaws.

If teeth fall out before permanent teeth appear, adjacent teeth may tilt or move. When a permanent tooth tries to erupt in its place, there may not be enough space. The new tooth may appear at an angle. Crooked or misaligned teeth can cause a range of problems, from chewing problems to temporomandibular joint problems.

If your child is losing a tooth prematurely, your dentist may recommend a space retainer. A space retainer is a plastic or metal device that holds the space left by a missing tooth. Your dentist will remove it as soon as the permanent teeth begin to grow in.