Childhood is the golden years of eating a ton of sweets, junk food, and other unhealthy, yet delicious, food. However, these are also the years that children experience the occasional dental problems like plaque build-up, cavities, and the likes. On rare occasions, it would be a broken tooth due to the physical activities they like engaging in.
Many of the dental problems children are similar to what adults go through, albeit children’s teeth are still developing. Hence, they are softer and younger than adults’ permanent teeth. When these are oral problems are not treated immediately, they will lead to more serious dental problems in the future where they would need cosmetic dentistry.
We understand that you may want your children to indulge in all the delicious snacks and treats while they are young while maintaining clean pearly whites. That’s why you can get help from a reliable pediatric dentist.
Other than that, you can also gain more understanding about the different dental health problems your children may face that could cause them to seek cosmetic dentistry in the future.
Being a reliable provider of dental health services, we give you the three common dental health problems children face and how to prevent it:
1. Bad Breath
Halitosis, or what you commonly call bad breath, is caused by the bacteria that live in their mouth. This happens bacteria colonies feed on the leftover food, fluid, and plaque. As they eat, these bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide that leads to foul breath.
One way to prevent or remedy bad breath is by maintaining proper dental hygiene. You can have them use an antibacterial mouthwash after brushing their teeth so that they can eliminate the remaining bacteria that are still in their mouth.
2. Tooth Decay
Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of children from ages five to eleven have untreated tooth decay? It’s now deemed the most common chronic childhood condition across America.
Tooth decay is caused by certain types of bacteria that live in the mouth. When plaque accumulates on the teeth due to the food consumed by your children, it could produce acids that will eat away the teeth’s enamel or outer layer. When plaque continues to produce acid on the tooth, it will eventually damage the tooth, ultimately letting it decay.
What you can do to prevent tooth decay is to limit their carbohydrate consumption and add in fruits and vegetables in their diet. You should also have them brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss to remove the plaque in between the teeth.
3. Sensitive Teeth
Children are also prone to sensitive teeth. Since children’s teeth enamel are thinner than adults, then they’re easily worn down by plaque and acid. When the enamel wears down, their gums start receding which cracks the tooth surface, exposing nerve endings. This would result in pain and discomfort when they eat or drink anything too warm or too cold.
When this does happen, dentists can apply sealants on their teeth to strengthen their teeth’s enamel and fill in the cracks. Also, it’s best that your children use soft-bristled toothbrushes at home as hard-bristled toothbrushes can damage their teeth over time.
As a provider of pediatric dentistry in Fairfax Virginia, we suggest that parents have a proactive role in helping children develop healthy dental care habits so that they don’t have to go through cosmetic dentistry in the future.
If you’re looking for a pediatric dental care fairfax you can work with to ensure healthier teeth for your children, Greater Washington Dentistry opens its doors for you. We provide preventive and cosmetic dentistry in Fairfax Virginia so that not only will your child have healthy teeth, but they have confident smiles as well.
