Even though milk teeth are temporary, your child’s baby teeth are important, and are still susceptible to cavities. Tooth decay in infants or toddlers is often referred to as Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, or Early Childhood Caries. Kids need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food, speak and have a good-looking smile. Their first teeth also helps to guide adult teeth to come in correctly. It’s important to start infants with good oral care to help protect their teeth for decades to come.
Causes of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby Bottle Tooth Decay most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected sometimes.
There are many reasons which can cause tooth decay in babies. One common cause is prolonged exposure of the baby’s teeth to drinks containing sugar. Tooth caries can occur when the baby is put to bed with a bottle, or when a bottle is used as a pacifier.
Tooth decay can begin with cavity-causing bacteria being passed from the mother (or primary caregiver) to the infant. These bacteria are passed through saliva. When the mother puts the baby’s feeding spoon in her mouth, or cleans a pacifier in her mouth, the bacteria can be passed to the baby.
If your infant or toddler does not receive an adequate amount of fluoride, they may also have higher risk for tooth decay. The good news is that tooth decay is preventable.
Symptoms of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Baby bottle tooth decay can affect any of your kids teeth but mostly occurs in the upper and lower front teeth.
Other common symptoms of tooth decay to look out for include:
- White spots on the surface of the teeth
- Tooth cavities
- Toothache
- Swollen or bleeding gums
- A fever caused by gum or tooth infection
Treating Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Your baby might be eligible for treatments if their dental problems are detected in the early stage. In this context, the early stage would be defined as the appearance of white spots on the surface of your Kids teeth. Listed below are some of the treatment options recommended by our expert pediatric dentist:
- Application of dental Fillings over the cavity.
- Dental Crowns over the damaged tooth.
- Using Space Maintainers to preserve the growth and alignment of permanent teeth.
However, as the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. Thus, we encourage you to be aware of the preventive measures that can be implemented to protect your Kids oral health for the long term.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
1.Massage and wipe your baby’s gums with a clean damp gauze or washcloth after each feeding.
2. When your child’s first tooth comes in, brush it gently with a kids toothbrush and water. Use just a “smear” of toothpaste for children younger than 3 years old and a pea-size amount for children 3 to 6.
3. Begin flossing daily as soon as two teeth touch each other.
4. Never put your baby to bed with a bottle containing anything but water. If your baby sleeps with a bottle, gradually wean him/ her off by removing it as soon as he/she falls asleep.
5. Place only formula milk, or breast milk in bottles.
6. Never give your child a pacifier dipped in anything sweet.
7. wean off your baby once your child is old enough to carry around a sippy cup try filling it with just water
8. Schedule your baby’s first visit to the dentist after the first tooth emerges and no later than the first birthday
Visit Us Now! if your child is showing indications of baby bottle teeth decay. Our pediatric dentists are dedicated to providing your kid with the best dental care available at the best dental clinic in Lucknow Infinity Dental.
Thumb sucking: Help your child break the habit
Thumb sucking can be a difficult habit for a child to break. Understand what you can do to help your child stop sucking his/her thumb.
For a new parent the amount of information that comes at you about your baby’s health can be overwhelming. Just when you think you’re well-informed, someone shares an article on social media or you read about new research in a magazine, making you question if you’re really doing the right thing for your baby.
For example, there’s a lot of debate out there over pacifiers and thumb sucking. In this article, we will know the truth about how these activities might affect your baby’s dental health.
Why do some children do ?
Babies have natural rooting and sucking reflex , which can cause them to put their thumbs into their mouths — sometimes even before birth. Because thumb sucking makes babies feel secure, some babies might eventually develop a habit of Thumb sucking when they’re in need of soothing or want to sleep.
It’s not a bad thing
Let us tell you that both pacifier use and thumb sucking are not bad. Sucking is a natural reflex for newborns. At an early age, pacifiers and thumb sucking are harmless activities.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/thumb-sucking/art-20047038
How long does thumb sucking usually last?
Many children stop sucking their thumbs on their own, often by age 6 or 7 months or between ages 2 and 4. But even a child who’s stopped sucking his or her thumb might go back to the behavior during times of stress.
The positive in the pacifier habit
Firstly, pacifier and thumb sucking are positive experiences, helping an infant self-soothe. When you want your baby to sleep, a pacifier is an acceptable way to get them to relax during nap time especially true during their first six months. In addition, studies have shown that pacifiers have been linked to greatly reduced risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It’s perfectly okay for you to allow your child to use a pacifier and there are no adverse effects on a baby’s dental health in newborns up to the age of two.
When to wean
After two-years-old, parents should begin to wean their child off a pacifier. Before age two, a child’s growing bones will self-correct any alignment problems that resulted from sucking a pacifier. So, up to that age a pacifier will not cause dental problems that would require orthodontic treatment.
Thumb sucking vs. pacifiers
One might think that thumb sucking is a more natural alternative to pacifiers but the problem comes when it’s time to wean your child from the habit. Many dental experts prefer a parent to encourage pacifier use over thumb sucking so that your exit strategy is more straightforward.
The downside of pacifier use
As we said and pacifiers and thumb sucking are not harmful activities as long as they do not go on too long. But what happens if you don’t break your child of the habit?
In that case, there can be some detrimental effects on your child’s mouth, teeth, jaw, and face. The damage to your child’s oral health depends on a number of factors, including how often and how long you child sucks his or her thumb or uses the pacifier. Effects range from misaligned jaw (overbite or crossbite) to buck teeth and soft tissue damage that can result in years of orthodontic and dental treatment to fix. To reduce this possible damage, get them weaned by age four at the latest.
Advice on weaning
Nipping the habit can be hard but not impossible. First, you need to remember that children feel comforted by this activity so cajoling or punishing a child to get them to stop is not the right approach to take. Instead, techniques that are positive and encouraging often work better and lead to less frustration for both parent and child.
You can try a reward method, where you give your child a prize for successfully refraining from thumbsucking or a pacifier for a predetermined period of time – say, an hour before bedtime or after dinner. Stickers to reward children helps encourage them and make them feel good about achieving their goal.
For thumbsuckers specifically, you can also try a bandaid METHOD or some other covering on the thumb to prevent the child from sucking.
Visit your dentist
There are methods to help stop thumb sucking and pacifier use in later years and we can help.
And yes, it’s never really too early to bring your child to visit us. As a matter of fact, your child’s first check-up should come just as they’re sprouting their first lower central incisors. At the latest, we recommend establishing a practice of regular checkups at least by their first birthday.
An appliance is available that will make the act more difficult and less enjoyable. Some appliances are removable and for intense thumbsuckers a device that is cemented in might be an option.
Call us today at Infinity Dental best dental clinic in Lucknow to schedule a consultation to know more.
When it comes to a pediatric dentist for a child’s dental care, it’s all about good oral hygiene. Establishing a good oral health routine encourages kids to brush, floss, and rinse which ensures a lifetime of strong and healthy teeth. These at-home oral habits balance the work your dentist does to help keep kids’ smiles incredibly beautiful at Infinity Dental’s best dental clinic in Lucknow. Still, life with kids remains very much unpredictable. How do you know when baby teeth come in? What do you do when something hits and knocks out your child’s front teeth?
- FIND A PEDIATRIC DENTIST NEAR YOU The first tip to ensure your child’s dental care is to find a pediatric dentist that you and your kids can trust. Often this goes hand-in-hand with finding a family dentistry practice with specialists in all fields of dentistry, including pediatrics. According to the American Dental Association, “Pediatric dentistry is an age-related specialty that provides both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health needs for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs.”
Seeing a pediatric dentist with experience treating kids of all ages helps promote healthy oral care habits for life. When searching out a potential pediatric dentist, make sure the office is located near home or work. Also, ensure the office offers convenient hours that fit into your child’s schedule. After all, no one wants to feel anxious and rushed at the dentist – especially a young child!
START EARLY AND ENCOURAGE AGE-APPROPRIATE DENTAL HABITS AT HOME
A child’s dental care begins early in life. A Baby’s first visit to the dentist should happen when the first tooth erupts and no later than the first birthday, according to the American Dental Association (ADA). Even baby teeth can get cavities.
Take advantage of your child’s very first dental examination by making a list of questions. A pediatric dentist offers advice about teething, bottles, thumb-sucking and pacifier usage.
As soon as children are old enough to understand brushing and flossing, consign them to a lifetime of taking care of their teeth and gums at home.
Age 6 and younger: Your child probably doesn’t have the fine motor skills necessary to do brushing. Embrace their enthusiasm – let them start brushing, but hop in when needed.
Ages 7 – 12: Kids in this age range know they should brush their teeth, but they may not always do. Though they are nearly teenagers by the end of this stage, you may still need to jump in to make sure the brushing job gets done.
Ages 13 – 18: This is a decisive time for children’s dental care, according to Dr.Damini Agarwal Best Dentist In Lucknow. The rate of cavities rise during this time because teens may not have experienced cavities as kids and relaxed off with their dental hygiene. Don’t let teens let go of oral care habits.
KNOW ABOUT BABY TEETH
Primary teeth – baby teeth – usually appear between 6 months and 1 year of age. Most kids have a full set for 20 primary teeth by the time they are 3, according to the ADA. Babies’ gums can get swollen and tender when teeth come in. Teething rings and rubbing your child’s gums with wet gauze, a clean finger, or a small, cool spoon can be soothing, the ADA says. If baby is still fussy and seems to be in pain, contact your dentist or pediatrician.
4. EVERYDAY BABY ITEMS AND HABITS CAN LEAD TO TOOTH PROBLEMS
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) states that tooth decay among young children is on the rise, and the misuse of sippy cups could be to blame.The same goes for bottles. Bottles should be used only for formula, milk or breast milk – not juice. Pacifiers are another offender behind tooth decay in young children.
Thumbsucking can also cause problems for children’s dental care, especially after permanent teeth start come in. It can cause changes in the top of the mouth and cause issue with the proper growth of the jaw and alignment of teeth.Children usually stop thumbsucking habit between 2 and 4 years old, but if you notice the changes with your child’s baby teeth that could be related, consult your pediatric dentist.
5. ACT AS YOUR CHILDREN’S DENTAL CARE SUPPORTER
Young children – cannot always express what they are feeling. Parents must act as an supporter during their children’s dental care; ensuring they get the treatment they need, despite fright of the dentist. Kids with dental anxiety can be problem patients for dentists. Don’t set your child up for a panicked visit by mentioning words like “shot,” “hurt” or “pain,”
6. MAKE BRUSHING AND FLOSSING FUN
The AAPD states that parents should brush their children’s teeth until the age of 8, and floss them until they turn 10 years old. The best way to instill healthy child’s dental care habits at home is to make them fun!
As an alternative of just setting a timer and supervising, make brushing a two-minute event twice a day. Listen to your child’s favorite song as you brush together .Other tips include telling stories about brushing, making brushing a family affair, watching kids’ TV shows featuring characters who brush their teeth, and rewarding good.
7. UNDERSTAND FLUORIDE AND OTHER COMMON CHILDREN’S DENTAL CARE TERMS
There are some concerns surrounding the role of fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated drinking water in children’s dental care. However, fluoride is one of the best and safest ways to prevent decay in children.
Another child’s dental care term that parents should become familiar with is a sealant. A sealant is a thin, protective coating made from plastic and other dental materials that covers the chewing surface of the back teeth, or molars. Sealants help to stop cavities from forming on the hard-to-brush back teeth and even stop early decay,.
8. DON’T JUMP INTO PULLING A WIGGLY TOOTH
Wiggly baby teeth are a trademark of childhood. Baby teeth get loose and fall out to make space for permanent adult teeth. Sometimes a wiggly tooth bothers a child before it comes out on its own – so how do you know when to pull and when to let it be still?
The first teeth to fall out are the first to come in. Usually that’s the two front teeth. Once the permanent tooth starts coming in, the baby tooth’s roots dissolve until it becomes loose enough to fall out painlessly and with very little blood. Pulling before a baby tooth is ready can be painful and bloodier than necessary. Rather, if you and your child really want the tooth out, let him or her wiggle it gently until it comes out on its own.
9.TEACH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT GOOD NUTRITION
The No. 1 rule when it comes to nutrition and healthy teeth remains limiting sugar intake.
- Save sugar treats for after mealtime..
- Store excess candy in sealed bags
- Floss. It removes hard candy particles.
- Encourage kids to drink more water, which helps flush the sugar and food partcles prevents tooth decay.
It is also helpful to focus on foods that build strong teeth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry claims cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for kids’ teeth. The dairy product not only provides much-needed calcium, it also stimulates the salivary glands to clear the mouth of food debris and protect teeth from acids, disrupting the formation of cavities.
10. HAVE A PLAN FOR CHILDREN’S DENTAL CARE EMERGENCIES
It’s all fun and games until someone loses a tooth. Accidents happen! Ensure you have a plan for any emergencies related to your children’s dental care. Ideally, the pediatric dental office you choose offers emergency service. Make sure you have your dentist’s card on hand so you can contact the office whenever an issue arises. And if your child does play sports, consider investing in a mouthguard to cushion blows to the mouth and prevent some dental emergencies.
Call Us