Preventive Kids Dentistry

baby-teeth

Preventive dental treatment for kids is just as important as preventive dentistry treatments for adults. However, many parents make the mistake of assuming their child s teeth are not as important as they would eventually fall off. In fact, kids are especially prone to cavities as they love to eat candies, drink juice & sweetened beverages.

Preventive dental treatments in infants and children aim at diagnosing and preventing dental and oral problems which may cause big problems later in life and pose a bigger challenge for the dentist to treat them in later stages of life. All know that prevention is better than cure and is definitely less expensive too.However, many parents make the mistake of assuming their child s teeth are not as important as they would eventually fall off. In fact, kids are especially prone to cavities as they love to eat candies, drink juice & sweetened beverages.

Here are the answers to the few of the questions that might be in your mind :

When should I start cleaning my child’s teeth?

One should start cleaning teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts.

Why should I need to take care of my baby’s temporary teeth?

Milk teeth are required for eating and chewing, growth of jaws and speech development. Also when the child loses teeth before their usual time of exfoliation, space is lost for the eruption of permanent teeth and new teeth tend to erupt in abnormal locations.

What are the bottle caries?

Bottle caries is usually seen in infants aged 6- 24 months. It happens when the infant is made to sleep with a bottle in the mouth. Usually, upper front milk teeth get affected and get badly carious at an early age.

What are the bottle caries?

  • Infants should not be put to sleep with the bottle.
  • Parents should be encouraged to have infants drink from a cup; infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12-24 months of age.
  • Oral hygiene measures should be implemented by the time of eruption of first primary tooth.
  • An oral health consultation visit within 6 months of the eruption of first primary tooth is recommended.

Is thumb sucking harmful for children?

Habits like thumb sucking, mouth breathing and tongue, and lip thrusting are very harmful to the development of facial and dental development of children at an early age. Usually, children leave the habit by age of 3 years. These habits enforce muscular forces on dentition and jawbones and lead to abnormal facial growth. If the child doesn’t leave the habit beyond that age, the dentist should be consulted immediately.

What can be done to prevent dental caries in kids as a prevention?

Maintaining proper oral hygiene and limiting the number of sweet eatables are the most important preventive measures. Treatments like the use of fluoride treatment and dental sealants are also beneficial in growing children. It helps remineralize the enamel.

Dental sealants application is an effective treatment that acts by blocking the fissures on the chewing surfaces of teeth, thereby making them self-cleansing. This prevents the food from sticking onto the tooth surface

Meet Our Doctor

Dr Rukman Jindal

Dentist-surgeon

Dr Rukman Jindal is an experienced oral & maxillofacial surgeon and a certified implantologist. she has a vast experience of over 18 years in various fields of dentistry.