Young ones are entirely depended on their parents for their health. The care provided by parents often forms the base for baby’s health which they enjoy when they grow up. It is essential for parents to provide proper care regarding health issues, right since they are young. Cavities, toothaches are common problems for growing children. To have healthy gums, proper dental care is essential right from time the child is born. Dental hygeine is one such area which cannot be ignored by parents.
Teething
Teething is the stage during infancy and early childhood when children get their first set of teeth known as primary teeth or milk teeth. This stage starts from any time between 6months to 9months. Following are the signs when teething starts
- Low grade fever
- Loose motions
- Excessive saliva secretion
- Biting hard objects
- Refusing food
- Sleeping problems
Some teeth come through without any problem, while in other cases; the gum may be red and sore. A child may be irritable, uncomfortable and may show one or more of the symptoms mentioned above. This discomfort may be eased by a cool object such as a frozen teething ring, an ice cold wash cloth, or a cold apple. It can also be helpful to give the child something hard to chew like a teething ring.
The baby bottles can create additional problems which cannot be ignored. When liquids like milk or juices from bottle stays in contact with teeth for a longer time can cause tooth decay as they contain sugar and can also develop cavities. Remember never to put a baby to bed with a bottle, unless it contains plain water.
Always make it a point to wipe the gums and teeth of baby with wet cloth after bathing. When the baby is almost two years old teach them brush their teeth, but be there to supervise always. Use soft bristle brushes of good quality as the baby’s gums are soft. Teach baby to spit out the toothpaste after brushing because many times they tend to swallow it.
Causes of Tooth decay in Children
When the child is of six year of age his milk teeth starts falling and permanent ones starts erupting. Development of good strong teeth depends upon your children diet. It is very important to keep a tab of what your child eats, when they keep on binging on junk food or chocolates and ice-creams, it leads to early tooth decay among the children. Some children have the habit to drink sweetened milk before going to bed which further leads to tooth decay.
Our mouth is filled with thousands of bacteria; which survive on the starches and sugar which child eats and which also stick to the teeth. The bacteria break down sugar to lactic acid which dissolves the enamel of the teeth and causing cavities. Cavities are where food particles get stuck giving more food to the bacteria, which then produce more lactic acid to destroy more teeth. Children further, forget to rinse their mouth after eating which increases the problem.
Along with the above mentioned causes one more factor that can lead to cavities, tooth decays and tooth ache is the lazy attitude of children towards the oral hygiene which is common everywhere. It is very essential for parents to make children aware of dental care and oral hygiene. Parents should teach their children to rinse the mouth and brush properly after meals and also in between when they eats snacks which will prevent them from having less cavities and tooth decays.
