Child Tooth Decay - Cavities and Baby Teeth What You Need To Know - HealthSurgeon - Healthy Living and Fitness

Tooth decay can happen at any age. All children are at risk of tooth decay. Tooth decay can start as early as the first tooth emerges in your baby. Tooth decay is the breakdown or destruction of tooth enamel, which can eventually lead to holes in the teeth or a cavity. Cavities on baby teeth develop much faster than adult teeth because the enamel isn’t as strong on baby teeth as it is on adult teeth.

Any child can have a cavity. Your child has a higher risk of getting a cavity if they have poor oral hygiene. These can either mean they aren’t brushing efficiently enough, not brushing enough during a day, or not flossing twice a day. Eating a diet that is high in sugars and starches can also increase your risk. Another risk is having less saliva than normal.

Tooth decay is caused by a bacteria in the mouth that changes the sugar from foods, drinks, even breastmilk, into an acid that can break down tooth enamel overtime. Enamel on baby teeth is thinner than adult teeth so tooth decay tends to happen quickly on baby teeth.

It is impossible for you to avoid sugars and starches completely. So finding a way to combat tooth decay can be essential in your child having healthy teeth. Foods that have sugars and starches are breastmilk, formula, cow’s milk, fruit, vegetables, cereals, crackers, bread, chips, cookies, fruit juice, and fruit snacks. Some of these foods are extremely healthy and important to your child’s nutrients, growth, and development.

Symptoms

Symptoms of tooth decay will vary from child to child. There usually is a normal progression in the tooth decay that follows the same pattern. The early stages of tooth decay will appear like white spots on your child’s teeth where the area is affected. This is where the enamel is starting to be broken down. The next stage is when an early cavity is starting to form, which will have a light brown color. A deep cavity will look dark brown or black. Your child may also have pain around the tooth area. They may also experience sensitivity to sweets, or cold or hot beverages.

Diagnosis

A dentist can diagnose a cavity during an exam. They may want to take dental x-rays of your child’s teeth to see how extensive the damage is.

Baby teeth start to emerge between the ages of 6 months to 2 years old. They are important for your child for many reasons. Baby teeth give your child the ability to chew, help with speech development, development of the jaw, and they are a space holder for the permanent teeth.

Early detection of tooth decay is important. Early detection allows you to have treatment options that can reverse the tooth decay. Since cavities on baby teeth develop so quickly this isn’t always able to happen. Some people think since a baby tooth is meant to fall out anyway you can just leave the cavity and wait for the tooth to naturally fall out. If you leave a cavity alone and do not do any treatment complications can arise. Complications include pain, infection, and difficulty eating. It can also impact the development of adult teeth. Cavities that are left untreated can spread the infection to surrounding teeth causing more tooth decay to other teeth.

Treatment

Treatment is key for overall oral health. Early treatment can be plaque removal, cleansing dental decay, remineralizing teeth, dental sealants, or using supplemental fluoride.

The most common treatment for tooth decay in baby teeth are restorations. Restorations are when you remove the decayed part of the tooth and replace it with a filling. Direct restorations usually involve just one visit to the dentist. The dentist will place a filling directly into a prepared hole. Fillings can include things made out of silver, fine glass powders, acrylic acids, or resin; usually these fillings are tooth colored. Indirect restorations may take more than one or two visits. This is because they may deal with inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, bridges. These can be made out of gold, base metal alloys, ceramics, or composites.

In severe cases our dentist may suggest pulling your child’s baby tooth. This is usually only done with the cavity so severe that there may be no hope in other treatment options. There are some concerns with pulling a baby tooth too early. It can affect how a child, chews, speaks, and how the surrounding teeth stay in place. A lot of times a baby tooth that is pulled or removed too early before a big tooth is ready to emerge can cause surrounding teeth to cave in, not allowing there to be room for the permanent tooth to come in when it is ready. One way to combat this is to place a spacer between the teeth to hold the other teeth in place leaving space for the permanent tooth to come in. When the permanent tooth starts to emerge the dentist will remove the spacer.

Prevention

Prevention is key to stop tooth decay and cavities. You cannot 100% prevent a cavity from occurring. There are some things you can do to help lower the risk of your child developing them. One is to help them brush their teeth two times a day as well as floss two times a day. If your child cannot tie their own shoes they should not be left to brush their own teeth by themselves. Another thing is to make sure your child is going in for dental cleanings every 6 months. This can help get their teeth cleaned well, as well as have a dentist look for any signs of tooth decay that is starting. If your child is an infant, make sure you are not putting them to bed with a bottle. Never put sugary beverages in your infant’s bottle. Try to wean your child from the bottle around the 12 month age mark. Water should be your child’s primary source of liquid. Avoid gummy snacks that can get stuck in teeth.