Caring for Tiny Teeth: A Guide to Pediatric Dentistry

By the age of 6 months, milk teeth start erupting, and all the deciduous teeth erupt completely in the oral cavity of the child by the age of 2.5 to 3 years. Most of the time, parents and physicians often fail to care for and address the health of these tiny teeth. Although they are temporary alternatives until the permanent teeth erupt, it’s crucial to keep them in a healthy state until the time of shedding.

Pediatric Dentist deals with the care and treatment of deciduous teeth and young permanent teeth to prevent various oral health issues in adulthood.

Importance of Primary Teeth:

• Help with chewing food.

• They help with enunciation and speech.

• Primary teeth serve the purpose of retaining space for the permanent teeth. Premature loss severely affects the alignment and eruption of permanent teeth.

• Help in maintaining facial profile and aesthetic.

What is Teething?

As teeth start to erupt in the oral cavity of the child at the age of 6-7 months, your child might show slight discomfort and irritability. Teething is the term used to describe the eruption of teeth in a child’s tiny mouth. Your child would bite on everything and might have trouble sleeping as well. Although it stops after all 20 milk teeth appear in the mouth.

Caring for and cleaning the oral cavity of the child, even before teeth eruption, is necessary. Gently wiping the gums with a clean cloth or gauze helps with teething and also keeps the gums healthy.

Common Issues Seen in Milk Teeth:Caries:

Frequent bottle feeding or breastfeeding at night beyond 12-18 months leads to the development of caries at an early age. Therefore, in pediatric dentistry, weaning is considered an important practice that should start at the right age. Dentist New Prague MN recommends establishing the care for milk teeth as early as 6 months to prevent caries development and guide parents about the care of the milk teeth.

Pain and Infection (abscess):

Collection of pus at the site of the infected tooth because of the accumulation of pus may cause swelling, which presents with painful episodes in children. It is mostly associated with various teeth that have been neglected for a longer time, causing the invasion of dental pulp. The child complains of severe pain in the jaw, which may refer to the ears, sensitivity to hot and cold food, and may have bad breath. In more severe cases, swelling can appear at the infected site, causing the face to deform from one side. If ignored, further pus may spread to surrounding areas.

Trauma or Injury:

The energetic activities and constant movement of children make them vulnerable to trauma or injuries from a young age. Tooth injuries during the early years are very common, which cause tooth fractures or premature loss of the tooth. Parents must visit the dentist as soon as possible when this happens.

Gum or Periodontal Disease:

Calculus or tartar deposits are seen in children when good hygiene is not properly maintained. The tartar is the evil that causes bone loss and inflammation of the gum tissue.

Management of Oral Health in Children:

1. Wiping the gums of the newborn baby until the time of eruption with a soft-washed cloth or gauze is necessary to wipe off the residual milk or formula.

2. During teething, you can use rubber teethers to protect the young teeth from injury and also ease the pain.

3. Start using fluoridated kids’ toothpaste after the eruption of teeth. Parents should monitor and assist the child with brushing in the younger years of the child.

4. Avoid sugary or aerated juices and introduce more healthy options into the child’s diet.

5. Exclusive breastfeeding after the age of 6 months is not healthy. One must start introducing solid, mashed foods after the age of 6 months when teeth have started erupting.

6. The children should be taught to rinse their mouth after every meal to prevent food lodgment and caries development.

7. Pay regular visits to your dentist after the age of 6 months to get fluoride and sealant application, which will protect the young tooth from decay.

8. Replace the toothbrush of your child after 2-3 months and also introduce flossing into the routine to prevent gum diseases.

9. Cease the use of pacifiers after a certain age to prevent misalignment of teeth.

10. In cases of injury and swelling, visit the dental office immediately to get the appropriate treatment for the protection of the young tooth.

Pediatric Dentistry at Dental on First

Visit our dental office for the finest care for your tiny tots. Our dentists are available to support and educate you on how to maintain your child’s oral health.

John Scott content writer and digital marketing graduate. Write about business tip, tech, technology topics.