The Most Common Dental Problems in Kids & How to Prevent Them

Introduction  

Are you aware of the most common dental problems in kids & how to prevent them? Do you know that kids’ dental health is important for preventing cavities and plays a major role in their overall well-being and the functioning of their other body parts? When children face poor dental health, it also impacts their physical and mental health. In this blog, we will discuss the five most common dental problems that kids face with simple tips on preventing these in your kid.  

5 Common Dental Problems in Children

Dental problems are more common in children than in adults. Children are stubborn and consume many sugary and salty foods, making their teeth an ideal place for bacteria and dental problem-causing antigens. 

1. Tooth Decay:

Major tooth issues for kids include tooth decay, which, if left untreated, can cause serious problems like difficulties in eating and speaking. That’s why treating tooth decay as soon as possible is important. The main cause of tooth decay in kids is bacteria that keep growing in the presence of leftover food particles, forming a layer of plaque on the teeth. 

Brush your kids’ teeth daily with a soft bristle toothbrush to prevent common teeth problems, like tooth decay. Always choose a fluoride-based toothpaste for your kid. It will help reduce the amount of plaque on teeth, thus preventing cavities. To prevent tooth decay, parents should regularly schedule their kid’s dental checkup. Limiting sugary foods and drinks is necessary, as they damage teeth and make them more prone to decay. Parents can start taking their children to the dentist when they develop their milk teeth. 

2. Gum Disease:

Common teeth problems in kids include gum disease. The main cause of gum disease is the same as tooth decay: bacteria and food particles in teeth. Gum diseases are often not a cause of concern for parents, but persistent gum disease can cause severe damage to kids’ teeth if not treated at the right time. One common tooth problem in kids is gum inflammation, caused by plaque accumulation on the teeth. Later, this plaque can cause swollen gums, tooth decay, and cavities. Kids’ teeth are more susceptible to gum disease because they are still developing and more vulnerable to bacteria and plaque than adults’. 

Children love to suck their thumbs, and this habit of theirs can be the reason for major tooth issues in kids and invites gum diseases. When children suck their thumbs, they are unintentionally causing gaps in their teeth. These gaps provide a home for bacteria and food particles. Eating severely cold food items like ice creams and frozen curd damages the children’s gums, leading to gum issues like swelling in gums, gingivitis and other kinds of periodontal diseases. Other than these, dry mouth due to dehydration decreases saliva production in a kid’s mouth. Saliva is an essential component that helps maintain the health of teeth and gums.  

To maintain the health of kids’ gum, parents should encourage kids to do oil-pulling or gargling with mouthwash. Oil-pulling and mouthwash reduce the amount of bad bacteria in the mouth, reducing the probability of gum disease and tooth decay. Parents should feed kids food that is at moderate temperatures, not too hot or cold. Parents can teach kids about the importance of hydration not just for their oral health but for their overall health. 

(Also Read, How To Cut Your Newborn’s Nails )

3. Bad Breath:

Almost all parents practice brushing twice daily to avoid common teeth problems in kids. The kid’s developing teeth demand twice a day of brushing for better oral health, but there might be causes that lead to bad breath even in children. The reason for bad breath in children is not just their oral health-related issues. Bad breath might be an underlying symptom of other health issues in kids. 

Health issues like sinus infection can cause stinky breath. When kids get sinus infections, their throat and nose get filled with mucus and fluid. The fluid in your child’s throat becomes an ideal place for bacterial growth, resulting in bad breath.

Several times, children get any object stuck in their nasal passage, like toys, food items, or beads. These tiny and usually harmless objects can cause bad breath in your kid. One more cause of bad smell in kids can be swollen tonsils. If your child’s tonsils look red, swollen with white spots and smelling bad, it is a sign of infection in the throat. The bacteria get collected in the pits of swollen tonsils and cause bad breath in children. When you see the sign of a swollen tonsil in your kid, immediately contact your doctor. Start giving the child the prescribed course of antibiotics. 

So, before trying to associate bad breath with your kid’s oral hygiene, make sure that the kid does not have any underlying health condition. Treat all the underlying conditions to prevent common teeth problems in kids, like bad breath. 

4. Sensitive Teeth:

Teeth sensitivity is one of the major tooth issues for kids, and immediate attention and care are required. This ensures that the child’s precious teeth remain healthy and strong. The issues of teeth sensitivity occur due to damaged enamel. The protective layer of the teeth is enamel, and damage to it causes the issue of sensitivity to start occurring. Children tend to develop tooth sensitivity due to regular consumption of excessively sugary and highly processed foods. Regular practice of thumb sucking can also make teeth sensitive due to damaged enamel. Additionally, using toothpaste with microbeads and baking soda can make teeth sensitive.

To prevent kids’ teeth from becoming sensitive, parents can take their kids to the dentist even with the most minor inconveniences in their teeth. The parents need to put a limit on consuming food items known to damage the enamel of the teeth. Parents should teach their children to gently brush their teeth with a very fine and soft bristle toothbrush. Encourage kids to drink more water instead of carbonated drinks to protect the enamel from further damage. If your child’s teeth are very sensitive and the enamel is severely damaged, then with the prescription of your child’s dentist, you can opt for fluoride treatments. These treatments help build up the enamel for your child. Fluoride treatments help repair weak tooth enamel by providing the enamel with lost calcium and phosphate.

(Also Read, 10 Unique And Healthy Breakfast Ideas For Toddlers )

5. Early Tooth Loss:

Early tooth loss means a kid is losing their milk teeth before a period they should. Milk teeth start to fall at age 6, and before this age, the falling of teeth in kids is considered ‘early tooth loss’. Parents are not concerned about baby teeth because they tend to think that baby teeth will be replaced with adult teeth. The condition, alignment and health of adult teeth depend on the condition of baby teeth. Primary teeth tend to fall early on those kids who have a habit of sucking and grinding their teeth, have poor dental practices, and have a diet full of sugary foods and soft drinks. The damaged primary teeth also cause damage to the gums. 

When an adult’s teeth grow on these damaged gums, they might also be misaligned and weak. When baby teeth fall before time, the newer teeth might not grow as they should. If parents ignore the condition of early tooth decay, their kids might need orthodontic treatments later in life, like braces or aligners, to straighten the misaligned teeth. You can save your kid from early tooth decay by developing the right dental practices from infancy.  With appropriate good oral care, you can ensure that your child has a bright smile for their life. 

Conclusion

The journey to healthy oral health begins in childhood and lays a strong foundation for a healthy, bright smile for a lifetime. If your child faces any common teeth problems listed above, don’t wait for the situation to resolve on its own; take him to the dentist immediately. To avoid major tooth issues in kids it is important to teach healthy eating habits, brushing and flossing and regular dentist visits. Parents can lead their children by example by following good dental hygiene themselves.

(Also Read, How To Take Care Of Your Kid’s Oral And Dental Health? )