Common Dental Problems

When a child eats foods containing carbohydrates, the sugars and starches are left on the teeth. Bacteria that normally live in the mouth change these foods into acids. The combination of bacteria, food, acid, and saliva form a substance called plaque that sticks to the teeth. Over time, the acids made by the bacteria eat away at the tooth enamel, causing cavities.The good news is that tooth decay is preventable! You’ll want to make sure your child brushes their teeth 2 times a day for 2 minutes each time with fluoridated toothpaste and floss once a day. Maintain 6 month dental checkups to be sure the plaque is removed from those hard to reach areas. Another reason to maintain 6 month dental checkups is for the dentist to detect possible decay in a timely manner. Tooth decay will need to be treated,as it will not correct itself, and only worsen with time.

 

Canker sores (aphthous ulcers) are small to large painful sores inside the mouth with a white or gray base surrounded by a red border. Most sores last one to two weeks and are a benign autoimmune response that has no cure. Pain medication and topical ointments will usually provide enough comfort until the body can naturally heal the sore.  These sores may be mistaken for cold sores which is a virus, but also has no cure.  Unlike canker sores, cold sores can be transmitted in the early stages.

 

 

Bad breath (halitosis) is common among children and toddlers and it can be embarrassing and in some cases may even cause anxiety. Lots of different issues can cause it.

Food residue that is not cleaned from the mouth can create an environment that supports the colonization of bacteria. Consistent bad breath may be a sign of gum or oral disease. This can be reduced by brushing your child teeth regularly, brushing the tongue and keeping the mouth moist with water.

Seeing a dentist, starting at age 1, for regular cleanings and checkups can help prevent poor dental health and tooth decay, which can contribute to bad breath.

Bad breath can also be more common in mouth breathers, consult with ENT doctor to assure that your child is return to breath form nose again.

Primary teeth, or baby teeth, usually start to fall out around age 6, but sometimes permanent teeth can grow in front or behind baby teeth. This condition is fairly common and is typically not painful for the child.

Normally, permanent teeth push against the roots of the baby teeth and make them dissolve. When the root has dissolved, the baby teeth become loose and falls out. Sometimes, the permanent teeth don’t line up with the baby teeth and push through the gums in front or behind them. With nothing pushing and dissolving their roots, the baby teeth stay put. In this case, a pediatric dentist may need to help out the baby tooth. Often when the baby tooth has been removed, the permanent tooth will gradually move into its appropriate placement.

Gingivitis (gum disease) is inflammation of the gum tissue which is often caused by plaque accumulation. Gingivitis begins when the sticky film of bacteria (plaque) irritates the gum tissue at the margin of the tooth. Irritated gums in the early stage of disease bleed easily and become red and swollen. Gum disease is highly preventable and can usually be avoided by daily brushing, flossing and use of an antibacterial mouth rinse.  Regular dental cleanings will also remove any excess plaque buildup.

 

Grinding, also known as bruxism, naturally occurs at night and may wear down the primary teeth and is rather common in children. Grinding in children is rarely treated since it typically goes away when the permanent teeth erupt.

Scientists have not been able to correctly identify the cause behind this grinding of teeth, however, it may occur due to the following reasons:

• The teeth may not be aligned perfectly.
• Pain such as that in toothache or earache.
• It may also be in hyperactive children and in response to stress, nervousness or tension.
• Certain medications may also cause this.
• Certain allergies may cause grinding of teeth in children. GIT worms are also believed to be a trigger for this condition.
• Certain sleep disorders are linked to teeth grinding.

 Night guards are not recommended for young children since the guard will act as a retainer stunting growth, are expensive to fabricate and become ill-fitting as growth occurs and the permanent teeth erupt.  Grinding that continues when the permanent teeth erupt causing dental or muscular pain is often cured with a night guard.

 

Misalignment, or malocclusion, is a condition in which the teeth are crowded, crooked or out of alignment, or the jaws don’t meet properly. This may become more noticeable when a child’s permanent teeth are coming in. This is a common concern, with some cases being mild and others having more of an impact on the child’s dental health. A bad bite can make it difficult to keep teeth and gums clean, increasing the risk for cavities and gum disease. It can also affect the development of the jaws, affect eating and speaking, put protruding teeth at a high risk for chips and fractures and cause abnormal wear on the teeth. We will monitor these concerns at your child’s dental checkups and may recommend consulting one of our orthodontists.

Sucking is a natural reflex for infants and young children. They may suck on thumbs, fingers or pacifiers. If this habit continues after the permanent teeth have come in, it can create problems with tooth alignment and your child’s bite. If you are worried about your child’s sucking habits, please talk to your dentist at your child’s next appointment.

Sucking is a natural reflex and infants and young children may use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers, and other objects on which to suck. It may make them feel secure and happy, or provide a sense of security at difficult periods. Since thumb sucking is relaxing, it may induce sleep.

Thumb sucking that persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment. How intensely a child sucks on fingers or thumbs will determine whether or not dental problems may result. Children who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to have difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs.

Children should cease thumb sucking by the time their permanent front teeth are ready to erupt. Usually, children stop between the ages of two and four. Peer pressure causes many school-aged children to stop.

Pacifiers are no substitute for thumb sucking. They can affect the teeth essentially the same way as sucking fingers and thumbs. However, use of the pacifier can be controlled and modified more easily than the thumb or finger habit. If you have concerns about thumb sucking or use of a pacifier, consult your pediatric dentist.

A few suggestions to help your child get through thumb sucking:

• Children often suck their thumbs when feeling insecure. Focus on correcting the cause of anxiety, instead of the thumb sucking.
• Children who are sucking for comfort will feel less of a need when their parents provide comfort.
• Reward children when they refrain from sucking during difficult periods, such as when being separated from their parents.
• Your pediatric dentist can encourage children to stop sucking and explain what could happen if they continue.
• If these approaches don’t work, remind the children of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night. Your pediatric dentist may recommend the use of a mouth appliance.

It is normal to have some space between a child’s primary teeth. This spacing does not cause a problem, and in fact, these spaces can be a good thing. They give the permanent adult teeth room to grow in. However, a space due to a missing tooth may be cause for concern. If your child has lost a tooth early due to decay or an accident, you will want to speak with your pediatric dentist. In these cases we will need to maintain that space until the permanent teeth are ready to come in. If this space is not maintained, the primary teeth will gradually move into that space, causing problems when the permanent tooth starts to erupt in that area.

If your child has excess space between their permanent teeth, we may recommend consulting  our orthodontist.

A cold sore is a group of tiny, painful blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). They’re also called fever blisters or herpes simplex labialis.

Kids can get the virus by kissing or touching a person with cold sores, or by sharing eating tools, towels, or other items with an infected person. Many kids get infected with HSV-1 during the preschool years.

Cold sores usually go away in about 1 to 2 weeks. No medicines can make the virus go away, but some treatments can help make cold sores less painful and not last as long