Cavities not only affect our health but also cause too much pain. This is true for kids and adults. As a parent, teaching your child the importance of regular dental care can help prevent some uncomfortable dental procedures.
Untreated cavities can lead to tooth extractions, infection, and toothaches. Furthermore, you should understand that anyone can get cavities, including kids. Read on to better understand how you can prevent cavities in baby teeth.
What Are Cavities?
Cavities are damaged areas on the enamel of your teeth. These areas can develop holes or tiny openings. Cavities are also called caries or tooth decay. They can be brought about by factors like improper dental hygiene, consuming sugary drinks, frequent snacking, and bacteria in the mouth. They are also amongst the world’s most common problems, and they are prevalent in kids, teens, and older adults. If cavities aren’t treated, they can grow and affect more layers of the teeth. This can result in severe infection, toothache, and tooth loss.
Should Cavities Get Filled Even if the Baby Tooth Is Going To Fall Out?
If your child has cavities, your dentist will recommend filling as the ideal solution. Most parents believe that cavities in babies and young children aren’t something serious since the teeth will be replaced with permanent teeth. However, baby teeth stick around for a while, and this could be a long time for your child to suffer from cavities. Furthermore, getting filling ensures that the decay doesn’t spread. Cavities caused by bacteria infection can be painful, and they can spread to the surrounding teeth, tissue, jaw bone, and gums.
Damage Cavities Can Cause
Cavities are a common problem that most people don’t take seriously. However, untreated cavities can cause more problems like severe pain, chewing problems, tooth abscess, swelling, pus around the teeth, and positioning shifts. The severe pain can interfere with daily living. Furthermore, you can experience nutrition problems or weight loss due to difficult or painful chewing or eating. Visiting the dentist on the first sign of cavities can help prevent all these damages.
How To Help Prevent Cavities in Children
Good oral hygiene is the best way of preventing cavities in children. Ensure that your kid understands the importance of dental care by brushing their teeth twice a day and flossing once daily. You can also teach your child not to share their foods and drinks since this can easily spread oral bacteria. Additionally, going for routine dental visits can help prevent cavities. Starting this early helps your child understand the need for frequent visits. Besides, it makes the kid comfortable with the dentist, thus eliminating any anxiety.
Going for dental checkups twice a year can help catch cavities early. This also allows the dentist to save much of the tooth. During the visit, the dentist can use multiple instruments to examine the teeth. This includes dental x-rays that help show cavities before decay emerges. Besides dental checkups, good oral hygiene can help prevent cavities in kids and adults.
It is a pleasure to offer these types of services for dental hygiene at Smile First Pediatric Dentistry. You can request an appointment online or reach out to our staff at (631) 563-7462.