Establishing sound oral health care and dental hygiene habits at an early age is key to ensuring that the child has healthy teeth and gums throughout his / her life. Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dentistry that addresses the distinct oral needs of infants, children, adolescents and children with special needs during the phase of their dental growth and development.
Why Early Dental Care is Essential For Children?
A child’s mouth undergoes rapid stages of growth and development from infancy, childhood and adolescence. These changes also have an impact on the child’s emotions, behaviour, and social interactions. The primary teeth (milk teeth) of children hold the space for future permanent teeth and damage to the primary teeth can severely impact the teeth, gums and jaw development of the children as their permanent teeth try to settle into the vacated space. Infected primary teeth can also affect the structure and development of the underlying permanent teeth.
Role of Pediatric Dentists In Children’s Oral Health
In addition to regular dental training, pediatric dentists are also trained to understand the various developmental stages of the teeth and gums of children and address their behavioural problems. Pediatric dentists monitor the growing teeth and jaws and prevent future developmental problems through preventive and interceptive pediatric dental practices. Deleterious oral habits like thumb sucking or tongue thrusting that may cause dental damage can be managed through specific appliances and behavioral counselling. Pediatric dentists also take on the responsibility of educating parents and children about oral development and provide guidance on establishing and maintaining
good oral hygiene and health practices. Children tend to be anxious during dental visits and pediatric dentists help to create a child-friendly environment in the clinic and build a positive patient-dentist relationship that makes the child comfortable during dental visits. Extremely anxious children and special needs children can be managed through conscious sedation or general anesthesia if necessary.
Common Pediatric Dental Issues and How to Prevent Them
While dental issues are present in children and adults alike, there are certain dental issues that are seen more commonly in children. This could be because their teeth and gums are still growing, because of deleterious habits impacted teeth, or even due to
playground injuries.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is one of the most common problems seen in children. When food debris remains deposited in the teeth due to lack of proper brushing or flossing, it can cause a buildup of plaque or tartar which in turn causes dental caries or cavities. Children with mpacted teeth or mouth breathing also tend to have tooth decay because of the bacteria in the mouth releasing acids that cause the dental enamel to erode. Consumption of sugary soft drinks regularly can also cause erosion of dental enamel. Regular visits with a pediatric dentist can help in identifying tooth decay early and treating it before it progresses into bigger dental issues.
Malocclusion
Malocclusion means that the teeth are not correctly aligned in the mouth and the upper and lower teeth do not fit together when the jaws are closed. They can occur due to various reasons including childhood habits like thumb sucking and tongue thrusting,
extra teeth, impacted teeth or due to teeth that have an abnormal size, gaps created by missing teeth, or traumatic injuries and can cause issues with the shape of the face, difficulty with chewing and speech and other health issues. The pediatric dentist will be able to monitor the development of the teeth and jaws so that the malocclusions can be easily corrected at an early stage using growth modification appliances and later on by an orthodontist using devices like braces and aligners before it progress into deeper dental issues.
Teething
Babies usually have primary teeth erupting anytime between 6 months to age 1 and it can be an unpleasant experience for them with swollen gums, tenderness, irritability, and difficulty with sleep. Pediatric dentists will be able to advise parents on the teething timelines, provide solutions to make the teething process easier for the babies and monitor tooth development.
Unhealthy Oral Habits
Thumb sucking is a habit that is common among babies but they soon grow out of it. However, prolonged thumb sucking can cause teeth and jaws to be malaligned. Tongue thrusting is another habit that children have where the tongue pushes between the teeth, which could result in malocclusion and related difficulties with speech and chewing. Pediatric dentists will be able to tackle these habits early on and provide
strategies to minimize them.
Gum Disease
While it is generally thought that gum diseases only affect adults, children are also prone to it due to improper oral hygiene practices or issues with the dental structure. Gum diseases mostly arise as a result of prolonged infection of the tooth which manifests as an abcess on the gums. Gum disease can be painful for the child, may require medication, and may sometimes require the tooth to be extracted. Early-age
dental visits can help to detect dental issues early before they mature into gum disease.
Diet and Oral Health: Foods That Benefit or Harm Young Teeth
What children eat has a direct impact on the health of their teeth and gums. Along with proper oral hygiene practices, it is important to focus on what foods are included in their diet. Foods that are beneficial for the development of strong and healthy teeth and gums include
● Calcium-rich foods like dairy and dairy alternatives, salmon and dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale for stronger enamel.
● Saliva-inducing hard foods like apples, carrots, celery, and cucumber which wash away plaque-causing bacteria and food debris.
● Lean protein like chicken and other meat which act as building blocks for teeth.
● Nuts and seeds containing minerals and healthy fats to improve strength of teeth and gums and prevent tooth decay.
● Citrus fruits rich in Vitamin C like oranges and grapefruit, give strength to the blood vessels and connective tissues in the mouth. There are also certain foods that are best avoided or consumed in limited quantities in order to preserve the health of the teeth and gums of children.
● Starchy foods like soft foods and mashed potatoes tend to get stuck in the mouth, causing food debris to accumulate between teeth.
● Juices loaded with sugar and carbonated beverages with citric acid content which encourage the growth of bad bacteria in the mouth
● Sticky toffees, sweets and candies that cause sugar to be deposited on to the teeth and gums.
● Substances that dry out the mouth include food that is very oily, sweet, and certain medications containing alcohol content.
● Also an equally significant culprit includes medications containing sugary syrups and tablets.
Pediatric Dentistry at Taha Medical Centre
At Taha Medical Centre, we have a dedicated dental care unit with various dental specialties including Pediatric Dentistry. We have earned the reputation of being the best dental clinic in Abu Dhabi due to the attention and service that we provide our patients, including our very young patients. Our clinic offers the expertise of pediatric dentists who are ably supported by other medical staff, advanced dental and diagnostic equipment, and a calm and soothing environment that puts children at ease.