Sunday, October 24, 2010

Children's Dental Care

According to research, infants and children are more susceptible to oral health problems. They are at a higher risk of developing tooth decay or cavities. Dental caries are actually the most chronic childhood ailment, even more so than asthma. In one report, it is discovered that tooth decay is the most chronic disease inflicted among children aged five to seventeen.


 


Children's diet causes a huge impact on their oral health. Sugars found in sweets they are fond of like cake, cookies, candy—even the drinks they take like milk and juice—and starches found in certain food like pretzels and potato chips result in tooth decay.


 


As a parent, it can be difficult for you to clean your babies' and children's teeth. This is why debris from the food remains in their teeth. Bacteria eventually form in their teeth, leading to tooth decay.

Even though baby teeth are replaced with permanent teeth later on, they are still prone to the growth of bacteria.

 


If your baby is born with neonatal teeth, which are teeth that develop in the first month, you need to take him or her to your family dentistry colorado springs dentist for a check-up. Depending on your dentist, neonatal teeth need to be cleaned or removed. It is important that you take your baby to the dentist because a baby tooth erupts by six months of age, and your baby will need dental cleaning. Once your baby is aged from six to 24 months, you can ask your dentist to recommend a teething ointment to protect your child's oral health.


 


There are a number of family dentistry colorado springs dental care procedures for your children.

Baby teeth cleaning involves cleaning your baby's teeth with a soft washcloth or gauze. On your first dental visit with your children, your dentist should form a long-term dental hygiene and professional dental cleaning plan.

 


Another family dentistry colorado springs procedure is dental sealant application. Dental sealants have a protective plastic coating that cover the surfaces of teeth to prevent tooth decay. In this procedure, your dentist first cleans the teeth, dries them, and applies acidic solution that helps the sealant stick to the tooth surface. Then the dentist covers each tooth with a thin layer of the sealant coating which blends with the natural tooth color and hardens the coating using a high-intensity light.