Child Dentistry

When is the right time to start cleaning baby's teeth?

As the first tooth appears the cleaning of baby's tooth should be started to remove any deposits with the cottoin or clean white cloth.

Can babies get cavities as the tooth erupts?
Yes.As soon as teeth appear in the mouth, decay can occur. One serious form of decay among young children is baby bottle tooth decay. This condition can occur when an infant is allowed to nurse continuously from a bottle of milk, formula, sugar water or fruit juice during naps or at night. If these liquids pool around the child's teeth during sleep, the teeth will be attacked by acids for long periods of time, and serious decay can result. If you must give your baby a bottle as a comforter at bedtime, make sure it contains only water. And never dip a pacifier into sugar or honey.

Painful teething
It occurs at the age of four months and 2 ½ years when the child teeth eruption starts and the gums become sore and tender .
 The pain can be relieved by applying wet gauze or by rubbing child's gums .or applying ice or giving child to chew teethers.If there is fever then it is not due to teething.Consult your doctor for further treatment.

Thumb sucking
Children sucks his thumb till the age of 2 to 4 years.Some children continue it till later age And if they dont leave the habit then the oral changes can occur leading to potusion of the upper jaw or teeth,then its necessary to conult your child dentist

Tooth Decay
Tooth decay can be due to caries or early trauma to child tooth and if the primary tooth is lost before the permanent tooth beneath it is ready to erupt it may cause the other euoting tooth to occupy the space leading to malocclusion of teeth. It is necessary to maintain the spce for the permanent tooth to come at the proper place Consult your dentist and he may recommend using a space maintainer to reserve space for the permanent tooth.

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
 This condition may result in very early age in which the upper front teeth gets decayed due to caries or other teeth may also be affected.  .This condition results when you give your child a bottle of juice or sweetened milk at naptime or bedtime These habits can cause your baby's teeth to decay. Decay occurs when sweetened liquids are given and is left around teeth for long time. Bacteria in the mouth use these sugars as food. They then produce acids that attack the teeth.After repeated attacks the tooth gets decayed.
To prevent the decay, after each feeding, wipe the baby's gums with a clean damp washcloth or gauze pad.Make a habit of child to brush at the age of 2 ½ years.

Why are baby teeth important?
Your child's baby teeth are important. Children need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food, speak and have a good-looking smile. Baby teeth also keep a space in the jaw for the adult teeth. If a baby tooth is last too early, the teeth beside it may drift into the empty space. When it's time for the adult teeth to come in, there may not be enough room. This can make the teeth crooked or crowded.

Should my child always brush right before bed?
Yes. If you don't get rid of the germs (bacteria) and sugars that cause cavities, they have all night to do their dirty work. Plus, when your child is asleep, he or she does not produce as much spit (or saliva). Saliva helps keep the mouth clean. So brushing at bedtime is very important.

Fluoride and Your Child
Fluoride is a mineral found in nature. It makes the hard outer layer of teeth (called enamel) stronger. When the outer layer is strong, teeth are less likely to get cavities.
Children can get fluoride in 4 ways:
in the water
in fluoride toothpaste
in fluoride treatments
in fluoride supplements (pills or lozenges)

Adding fluoride to the water is the best way to provide fluoride protection to a large number of people at a low cost. That's why many towns and cities put fluoride in the water. Fluoride is also in most toothpastes.

Preventive measure for your child teeth

• Make a habit of cleaning teeth after bottle feeding
• If child is of 2 ½ - 3 years,Help him to brush properly
• Prevent him to eat sticky food or more sweets in a day
• Night time toothbrushing is very important.
• If your area hass less flouride content in water then gets flouride
• treatment done by your dentist or e ill prescribe the flouride toothpaste.
  visit your dentist after every six months.

Dental Visit
Here are 3 reasons to take your child for dental check-ups:

• You can find out if the cleaning you do at home is working.
• Your dentist can find problems right away and fix them.
• Your child can learn that going to the dentist helps prevent problems

In most cases, a check-up every 6 months will let your child's dentist catch small problems early.
Your child needs to see the dentist by age 2 or 3, when all the baby teeth have come in. Your dentist may want to take x-rays. They show decay between the teeth. They will also show if teeth are coming in the way they should. Your child's dentist may talk to you about fluoride.
Once your child has permanent molars, your dentist may suggest sealing them to protect them from cavities. A sealant is a kind of plastic that is put on the chewing surface of the molars. The plastic seals the tooth and makes it less likely to trap food and germs.