Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood diseases. More than 4 in 10 kids have had decay in their baby teeth. primary prevention should begin at a young age, to help establish good oral hygiene habits and to make in-office dental care, routine. The goal, of course, is to prevent caries from ever occurring. Primary prevention relies on controlling exposure to the causes of caries infection, including modifying unhealthy behavior and increasing disease resistance.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps rebuild tooth enamel and reverse early signs of tooth decay. Your body takes in fluoride in two ways: systemically and topically. Systemic fluorides are swallowed, including fluoridated water (most tap water) and dietary fluoride supplements. Topical fluoride is applied directly to the teeth via toothpaste, mouth rinses and treatments at the dentist’s office like varnishes, gels, or foams.
Children can begin getting fluoride treatments at the dentist once their first tooth appears. However, be aware that children under three years old should still use a fluoride-free toothpaste. If too much fluoride is ingested as a young child, before the adult teeth have erupted, it can lead to dental fluorosis.
Dental sealants (also termed pit and fissure sealants, or simply fissure sealants) are a dental treatment intended to prevent tooth decay. Teeth have recesses on their biting surfaces; the back teeth have fissures (grooves) and some front teeth have cingulum pits. It is these pits and fissures that are most vulnerable to tooth decay because food and bacteria stick in them and because they are hard-to-clean areas.Dental sealants are materials placed in these pits and fissures to fill them in, creating a smooth surface which is easy to clean.
Dental sealants are mainly used in children who are at higher risk of tooth decay and are usually placed as soon as the adult molar or premolar teeth come through, can be placed on primary (baby) teeth too. This approach facilitates prevention and early intervention, to prevent or stop the dental caries process before it reaches the ends stage of the disease (cavity).
A filling is used to treat a small hole, or cavity, in a tooth. To repair a cavity, a dentist removes the decayed tooth tissue and then fills the space with a filling material. There are several types of filling material currently available to repair cavities, including tooth- colored (composite) fillings and silver-colored (amalgam) fillings.
Composite resin materials are increasingly used to fill teeth because many people prefer tooth-colored fillings and because composites continue to improve. There are also treatments called crowns, used to repair badly broken-down teeth. Crowns can be made of gold or other metals, porcelain, or stainless steel (usually used on baby teeth). Generally, dental fillings and crowns do not last a lifetime.
One of the most underestimated processes that we do in our daily lives is undoubtedly the cleaning of the teeth. According to many researches, it is found that people often do not clean their teeth properly. In most of the cases, their cleaning techniques and patterns do more damage than good. People always wonder why they have dental problems in spite of proper cleaning. It is mandatory to have regular sessions with your dentist to get your teeth cleaned. Most of the dentists would advise you to come for the cleaning procedures once in every six months.
You can check with your dentist if you have any query about the procedure and they will guide you properly. Teeth cleaning is not a permanent fixture. It depends on what you eat and how well you maintain the hygiene of your mouth in between. It is safe to have these treatments once every six months especially if you are a smoker or if you are someone who is addicted to caffeine. mandatory for children too to keep their cavities under check.
Certain oral habits can lead to tooth alignment problems, especially when the habits aren’t addressed in the early stages of childhood. Common issues include tongue thrusting, thumb sucking, mouth breathing, etc. While it might be cute to see a small child sucking their thumb, these habits can cause dental issues later in life. So, it’s very important to stop these habits by making the child understand the consequences of continuing such habits. But for some kids they need some appliance to break the habit.,
These are root canal treatments done in the primary or milk teeth. When the decay is too deep to do a regular filling the dentist has only 2 options – either to pull out the tooth or do a root canal treatment. If milk teeth are pulled out much before the permanent tooth erupts in place then it can cause space issues for the permanent teeth unless a space maintainer is given. Root canal treatment can be a better option.