So you think a decayed baby tooth falling out prematurely isn’t a big deal? You immediately dismiss the case since you believe baby teeth are just temporary, and they will eventually be replaced with grown-up teeth. While the second statement is true, the first one is a common misconception among parents that you should get demystified of.
The truth is baby teeth serve as an important guide in the positioning of permanent teeth. If they fall out unnaturally, it can cause your kid’s permanent teeth to grow crooked or crowded. If left untreated, deep infection can also lead to malformation and discoloration of the grown-up teeth which would need an expensive orthodontic work from your pediatric dentist in Manila.
Teeth decay, aka cavity and dental caries, might seem like a minor problem at first, but it can greatly affect the health and performance of your child. In fact, a study conducted by the American Journal of Public Health in 2012 showed that elementary and high school students with toothache were four times more likely to have a below-average GPA than those who didn’t experience the pain. Also, they were six times more likely to miss school, while their parents are four times more likely to miss work because of their kids’ dental problems.
According to Los Angeles-based pediatric dentist and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) President Robert Delarosa, DDS, losing teeth prematurely due to cavity can affect children’s speech development and articulation. Worse, affected children may even avoid conversation and other non-verbal expressions such as smiling and laughing just to hide their teeth.
The abovementioned problems only show how tooth decay should not be treated lightly. However, you need not have to worry because this dental issue can be totally prevented. The first and foremost step to do this is by identifying and understanding its causes.
When bacteria invade your kid’s mouth and start to eat away the primary teeth, tooth decay happens. These bacteria freely enter the mouth when your kid fails to brush his teeth regularly, and when there is inadequate dental care from his pediatric dentist in Manila. Unhealthy eating habits like sucking on sweets for a long time also causes cavity.
Aside from those, bacteria also breed when your kid goes to bed with a bottle. According to AAPD, the milk or juice from the bottle stays in your child’s mouth, allowing bacteria to form as he sleeps. This particular condition is called baby bottle tooth decay.
Having said that, you can check out the following preventive measures to ensure your kid won’t fall victim to this painful dental experience.
- Avoid sharing of spoons and other utensils
- Fill sippy cups with water only
- Refrain from sleeping with bottles
- Regularly brush teeth after meals
- Snack smart; limit candy and finish sweets and drinks immediately
- Use fluoride toothpaste over non-fluoridated “training toothpaste”
- Visit the pediatric dentist in Manila by your kid’s first birthday
