Deciduous teeth are the first teeth that appear in your child's mouth and are commonly referred to as 'baby teeth' or 'milk teeth'.
Children can face various dental problems during their development years. Some of them include:
- Dental trauma: Children are more susceptible to falls and injury due to their curiosity and lack of motor coordination. Falls and injury can lead to dental trauma. Dental trauma refers to an injury to the teeth and the supporting structures as a result of a fall, automobile accident or any other blow to the face.
- Baby bottle caries: Baby bottle caries is the presence of severe caries (cavities) in infants or young children. It is a very common bacterial infection, and is also known as 'early childhood caries' or 'nursing caries'.
- Teething problems: Teething is a normal process of teeth erupting through the gums in infants. As the tooth penetrates the gums, the area appears red and swollen. This condition makes a baby irritable and your baby attempts to bite down on a hard object in order to relieve pain. Teething problems can be resolved by offering your child teething rings or healthy food like apples or raw carrots to chew on.
Minor oral surgical procedures generally are undertaken in children are:
- Extraction of primary teeth (baby teeth): This is the removal of a complete tooth along with its root with as little injury to the surrounding tissues as possible. It is done with the help of small forceps that are specially designed for the smallmouth. Anesthesia is given so your child feels no pain during the procedure.
- Frenectomy: This is a procedure that involves the removal of the tissue fold that connects the lips or tongue to the jawbone. Sometimes the frenulum is attached too high on the gums, causing space between the two upper front teeth. Or the frenulum is attached too close to the tip of the tongue. In either case, a frenectomy is performed surgically to prevent interference in mouth development.
- Treatment of infections: Dental infections such as acute dental abscess, chronic dental abscess, and chronic apical periodontitis may require minor oral surgery. Your oral surgeon makes an incision over the infected tissue and drains the pus.
Some of the important tips you should remember to keep your child's teeth in good health:
- Follow regular teeth cleaning routine for your child to maintain good dental health.
- Use fluoride toothpaste to brush your baby's teeth as soon as the first tooth erupts.
- Make sure your child brushes the teeth properly.
- Start taking your child to a dentist for a routine visit when it is about 2 years old.
- Enquire about having fissure sealants or fluoride varnish for your child's teeth to prevent tooth decay.