What Parents Need to Know About Rotten Baby Teeth

December 06, 2021, Pearl Shine Dental Clinic

Yes, baby teeth will eventually fall out. However, it’s important to keep your baby’s teeth as healthy as possible. Wonder why it is important? Let’s talk to your dentist in Weslaco, TX!

Importance of keeping your child’s teeth healthy

Are you wondering if it is actually worth it to fight cavities in kids and convince them to clean their teeth? Let’s face it, it is extremely challenging for parents to upkeep their child’s oral health while getting them to bed at night or sending them off to school in the morning. Above all, is it really worth it to put tremendous effort into preventing cavities in baby teeth –especially when their teeth will eventually be replaced by bigger and better ones? 

Well, there’s much truth in the famous proverb, “hard work always pays off.” Children’s teeth are highly vulnerable to cavities. This is because of excessive sugar consumption in candies. These cavities can host various oral issues that are more difficult to deal with than just occasional teeth brushing efforts.

What causes cavities in kids?

Cavities or tooth decay process in kids is similar as in adults, which is enamel erosion and tooth pulp damage. However, baby teeth have a thinner enamel layer as compared to permanent teeth. Moreover, the pulp is relatively larger. Therefore, the decay process in baby teeth can be much quicker than in permanent ones.

How cavity is formed?

Our mouths have several microbes that create a thin, slimy, and clear biofilm. This biofilm coats everything present in your mouth. When your child neglects oral hygiene, the biofilm becomes thicker and more acidic. When you consume too much sugar, the unhealthy microbes will feed on them –thus, increasing the acidity in your mouth. This can potentially damage your tooth enamel, leaving your tooth pulp exposed.

Reasons to prevent cavities in baby teeth?

Now that we have discussed the causes of cavities and their process let’s discuss how bad cavities are for your child’s teeth.
Temporary teeth don’t mean that they are disposable. In other words, it is crucial to keep your baby teeth intact and healthy until the permanent ones are ready to come out naturally.

When baby teeth fall out too early, they can create problems for the permanent ones too. If your child has lost a tooth before their natural time, the surrounding teeth will likely drift into the empty space. This will potentially block the way for the permanent tooth that is supposed to come in there. As a result, your child may eventually develop an orthodontic issue.

Furthermore, baby teeth are important for your child’s development and growth. If your child has healthy teeth, not only can they eat correctly, but they can also speak properly. This is because healthy teeth play a role in speech advancement as well as proper digestion.

Another reason to keep your child’s teeth healthy is that kids are often bullied in school either because of their weight or teeth. If your child isn’t speaking well or feeling embarrassed to smile because of rotten teeth, their confidence will likely steep down, which you don’t want!

Cavities Prevention

Here is how to prevent cavities in your child’s teeth:

• Clean your baby’s gums with a clean, damp cloth even before they start teething.
• Use an infant toothbrush when your baby gets teeth.
• Only use a small amount of ADA-approved toothpaste (about the size of a grain) to reduce the risk of swallowing toothpaste.
• Teach your child to spit while brushing when they turn 2 years old.

For more information, please feel free to contact Rodeo Dental in Weslaco, TX

Comments