When your baby's first teeth show, it's an exciting time for any new parent. However, those new baby teeth are prone to several problems affecting their long-term health.
Our experienced pediatric team at MyKidz Dental has identified the following as the most common problems affecting baby teeth.
Caused by falling asleep with a bottle in their mouth, baby bottle decay is one of the most common tooth problems to affect younger children. When a bottle is left in their mouth while they’re sleeping, the sugars in milk, juice, or other drinks pool around their teeth.
Left untreated, the sugars attack the enamel of the teeth, weakening them and causing tooth decay, pain, and even tooth loss.
Never let your child sleep with a milk or juice bottle in their mouth, and avoid dipping their pacifiers in maple syrup, sugar, honey, or anything else.
Though bottle decay is a common issue among younger children, they are also at a heightened risk for cavities. Many children enjoy sugary foods or drinks and may not yet have healthy oral care routines.
It is important to start brushing your child's teeth when they appear, using no more than a rice grain-sized drop of fluoride toothpaste. Once they reach three years of age, you can increase it to a pea-sized drop.
You should also bring your child to our team every six months after their first tooth appears. We can check for decay or any other oral problems that may be present.
Thumb-sucking may seem like a benign habit, but it can lead to tooth problems, especially when a child older than age 5 continues doing it. It can cause the teeth to become misaligned, causing an overbite or making it difficult to speak correctly.
Repeated thumb-sucking can also lead to the lower and upper jaws becoming misaligned and a malformed roof of the mouth.
Like thumb-sucking, tongue thrusting puts additional pressure on the front teeth, causing several oral problems. Tongue thrusting is the action of a child pressing their tongue against their lips to seal the mouth when swallowing.
Repeated tongue thrusting can cause the front teeth to become misaligned or crowded. Teeth crowding makes it difficult to properly clean the front teeth, allowing bacteria to remain and causing cavities more easily.
It is essential to bring your child to our team, who can help them develop a new swallowing method that won't damage their teeth. Keeping your child's baby teeth healthy is vital for giving them the tools they need to have healthy adult teeth.
Whether your child has just started teething or is due for their next checkup, our experienced team can provide the care they need. Contact us today, or schedule an appointment online at your nearest office in Phoenix, Arizona.
