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Common Dental Problems in Children and their Preventive Measures

Dental problems are on a rise among children of all age groups. According to a study conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, approximately 55% of children under the age of 6 years and around 48% of 12 years have experienced tooth decay.

In addition to tooth decay, several oral conditions have been noticed among children at all stages – right from infancy to puberty. These conditions are not painful and cause great discomfort to the kid, but can affect your baby’s overall physical well-being and nutrition level.

Here’s a quick look at some of the prevalent dental problems among kids and measures to prevent these disorders:

Infant Tooth Decay

The tooth decay can only be found in older children is not entirely true; this condition can also occur among infants! This usually happens when any sugary drink like milk comes in contact with newly formed teeth. Since the infants can rinse their mouths often, the liquid stays on the teeth for a long duration eventually causing tooth decay. This condition is commonly found among the babies and is known as nursing bottle syndrome. A general practice that causes this syndrome is letting the baby drift off to sleep with a feeding bottle still in their mouth. This syndrome affects the early development of the teeth causing brown and black patches to appear on the surface.

Preventive Measures for Infancy Tooth Decay

Make sure you clean your baby’s teeth as soon as they appear. You can use a soft brush and water.
Moreover, ensure your kid has swallowed milk in his/her mouth before he/she dozes off.

Food Residues Depositing on Teeth

Another common condition among kids is poor oral hygiene that results in residual deposits on the teeth. The soft film also known as plaque can be easily removed by regular brushing, however, the hard deposits known as tartar are not easy to remove. Tartar is one of the most major causes of poor dental health among most kids. Such deposits not only cause a foul odor but can result in gum disease eventually leading to loss of teeth.

Preventive Measures for Tarta

Always supervise brushing in kids until they turn about 7-8 years old.
Additionally, schedule a visit to the dentist to know about the correct brushing method.

Misaligned Teeth Formation

Misaligned teeth have been one of the most common problems among growing kids. While it is natural for gaps to appear during the early formative years, teeth misalignment may occur due to a lack of space. Such teeth formation can further lead to overlapping, protrusion and the abnormal gap between teeth. Moreover, it can interfere in maintaining oral hygiene, speech and chewing patterns in many children.