Why are children so prone to cavities? While there is no easy answer for this, most people think it is caused by kids eating candy more than the average adult would, but there is so much more to it.
Cavities are the most common chronic disease in children. Children can get a cavity as soon as their first tooth arrives. If a child develops tooth decay before the age of 6, this is called Early Childhood Tooth Decay. Parents should begin brushing their children’s teeth as soon as the first one erupts. Even before that, it is a good idea to be cleaning their gums with a warm face cloth. If you make brushing a habit from a very young age, it is likely to remain a habit into their older years and will prevent undesired dental appointments.
Experts say children don’t have the dexterity to brush their teeth properly by themselves until they are between six and nine. Once your child is old enough to brush their own teeth and begin flossing, it is not a bad idea to try different strategies to get them in the bathroom brushing.
Rather than making it seem like a punishment, make it family time. Watching you brush and floss your teeth, will show them good habits and how to properly brush.
This will also help to ensure your child is not just going to the bathroom, wetting their toothbrush, and heading to bed with the day’s meals and juice still on their teeth.
Often times we see children who regularly get sent to bed with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. This has a huge effect on your child’s oral health and increases the probability of cavities in their teeth at a very young age.
Young children typically need to have general anesthetic to repair their teeth or have the parent hold them down, causing trauma and a fear of the dentist which will continue into adulthood. The best way to prevent decay and the bills that go with it, is brushing and flossing after every meal and snack.
That’s not always realistic in today’s world, but creating habits around oral health at a young age will pay off. Cutting out snacks or making healthy options, like fresh vegetables is also a great way to decrease decay. You can prevent extreme decay and fear of the dentist by taking them for “happy visits” starting as early as 1 year of age. If you notice any white, yellow or brown staining along the gumline or in the grooves of the teeth, it is best to get your child to a dentist for a checkup. White staining is generally the first sign of softening of the enamel, followed by yellow, then progressing to brown.
It is always best to catch a cavity early, so having a look at your child’s teeth periodically is not a bad idea. Repairing a cavity before it becomes painful, prevents Pulpectomies (baby tooth root canals) and stainless-steel crowns, or extractions and space maintainers.
Basic fillings are also far less traumatic for a child than having complex dental treatment. Baby teeth have larger pulp horns which is the nerve and the only living part of the tooth, making them far more susceptible to cavities involving the nerve and causing severe pain, swelling, and infection. This makes for a quick trip to see the dentist and generally can lead to uncooperative kids, causing stress for the child, the child’s parents, and the dentist.
A child’s oral health starts with the parents and can continue into either good or poor dental hygiene habits all through youth and adulthood, so it is very important that you practice good home hygiene in early childhood.
Dr. Michael Dolynchuk is a General Dentist practicing in Caroline and Red Deer.
