Pediatric dentistry is the provision of dental care and treatment to infants and children through adolescence. The very young, pre-teens and teenagers require unique approaches in managing their dental needs, behavior, growth and development. They also require professional as well as parental guidance to achieve a lifetime of dental health.

It is important for parents to take an active role in helping their children develop good oral health habits.

The Most Common Problems

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

The Importance of Baby Teeth

Thumb Sucking

Tooth Decay

Irregular Bites (Malocclusion)

Sports Injuries

Gum (Periodontal) Disease

Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay:

This is a condition where a child gets tooth decay that is caused by frequent and long exposure of the teeth to liquids that contain sugar like milk (including breast milk), fruit juice and other sweetened drinks.

Sweet liquid pools around the child’s teeth causing production of acids that attack the tooth enamel, which eventually may cause tooth decay.

Prevention:

At bedtime, if you must give your child the baby bottle, it should contain WATER only
Encourage your child to drink juices from a cup prior to his/her first birthday
Infants should be weaned from the bottle at 12-14 months of age
Oral hygiene should be started with the eruption of the first primary tooth
Make sure to take your child to the dentist for a general checkup within 6 months of eruption of the first tooth and no later than his/her first birthday

The Importance of Baby Teeth:

Most parents ask this question:

Q: Why worry about baby teeth decay if they will be replaced by permanent teeth later?

Following is our answer based on years of scientific research:

Baby teeth play an important role in the developing of the permanent teeth of your child, they have several important functions:

1. Baby teeth maintain the proper spacing and alignment of the teeth so that permanent teeth have enough space to come in. Loss of space for permanent teeth will lead to these teeth to shift and thus causing orthodontic problems for your child.

2. Baby teeth affect the ability of your child to speak properly and clearly.

3. Baby teeth are very important for healthy biting and chewing. Without these teeth your child might not be getting the proper nutrition.

4. The pain and infection associated with decay is just as harsh in baby teeth as in permanent teeth.

Prevention:
Follow the steps in prevention of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay and Tooth Decay to help your child maintain healthy baby teeth.

Thumb Sucking:

It is a natural reflex for infants and young children to suck their thumbs, fingers, pacifiers or any other objects. But this natural habit becomes a problem if the child does it for a very long period of time, i.e., after eruption of the permanent teeth. This may cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment.

Prevention:

Regular visits to the dentist to examine your child’s oral health and monitor the effects of sucking on his/her oral health, which will help your dentist to determine whether or not dental problems may result.
Discuss your concern about thumb sucking or use of pacifier with your dentist who may recommend the use of a mouth appliance

Tooth Decay:

Tooth decay is a very common disease that affects children's teeth. The good news is that it is a highly preventive disease.

Tooth decay is caused by the bacteria in the mouth feeding on sugar and starch producing an acid that can eat through the teeth. Another cause of tooth decay may be not getting enough fluoride.

Treatment:
Depending on the individual case and the severity of the decay, tooth decay may be treated by:

Prevention:

Brush your child’s teeth, tongue and gums twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, or supervise them brushing their teeth
Floss your child’s teeth daily after the age of two. Teach him how to floss when he’s older
Schedule routine visits to the hygienist for professional teeth cleaning
Schedule routine visits to your dentist to examine and monitor the health of your child’s teeth and gums
Consult your hygienist regarding applying sealants to your child’s teeth
Consult your hygienist regarding the supplemental use of fluoride
Make sure your child eats a well balanced diet and limit or eliminate sugary snacks

Irregular Bites (Malocclusion):

Many children develop an irregular bite while growing, which may be caused by many reasons. Click here to learn more about the different types of irregular bite, causes and treatment.

Sports Injuries :

Injuries to the teeth can occur when your child is playing sports activities like football, racquetball, rugby, basketball, boxing, hockey, volleyball, surfing, skateboarding, softball, bicycling or any other activity where there is a strong chance of physical contact with other people or hard surfaces.

Prevention:

Have your child wear a properly fitted mouthguard during sports activities. Custom-made mouthguards provide the best comfort and protection to your child’s teeth, lips, tongue, face and jaw, as well as optimizing healthy breathing. It also makes it easier for them to talk

Remember that properly fitted mouthguards can also help reduce the risk of head, neck and brain injuries by absorbing and dispersing some of the shock caused by blows to the chin.

Gum (Periodontal) Disease:

Poor dental care can easily lead to childhood gum disease. Gum (periodontal) disease is a slow painless disease that causes serious infections to the tissues around the teeth.

Unchecked gum disease can cause teeth to fall out and bone to erode, creating major problems for permanent teeth if and when they come in.

Teeth Grinding (Bruxism):

Bruxism is the technical term for grinding and clenching the teeth. Your child may grind his/her teeth without knowing that he/she is doing it. Many kids grind and clench their teeth at night at some time or another.

The three most common indications of bruxism are:

1. Hearing the grinding noise at night when the child is sleeping
2. Your child complains that his/her jaw or face is sore in the morning or is having headaches
3. Your dentist can detect wearing of your child's teeth during routine examination.

Treatment:

Most children outgrow teeth grinding, so the simplest thing to do is wait and see if this happens. But if grinding is causing pain in the face and jaw then your child MUST be checked by your dentist.
Your dentist will check your child’s bite to see if there is any occlusal interference (irregular bite), and may refer your child to the Orthodontist for further evaluation of your child’s occlusion (bite).
In cases where there is pain in the face and jaw your dentist will recommend that your child wears a custom-made mouthguard, also known as a “night guard”, at night. A night guard is a piece of plastic that is fitted to your child’s teeth to keep him/her from grinding and clenching their teeth at night.

Prevention:
In some cases there is no prevention for teeth grinding; dentists don’t know for sure why it happens, but they have a few ideas. Bruxism might happen because of an improper bite, stress, fear, anger etc…
The best thing you can do for your child when you notice that he/she is grinding their teeth is to take him/her to your dentist for a checkup and evaluation of the bite.

To learn more about Teeth Grinding in adults click here.