Does Your Child Need To See A Dentist? 3 Common Childhood Dental Health Issues

Childhood is the time of a child's life filled with endless adventure. It also comes with a lot of mischiefs that can compromise your child's physical health. For example, you might tell your child that sugar is not great for their teeth, but that will not stop them from getting extra cookies and candy. Since this season is when your child's teeth develop, be careful about untreated conditions becoming a permanent health concern. Here are childhood dental issues that you should take to a pediatric dentist. 

Cavities

Cavities are more common in children than people like to acknowledge. They are a prevalent problem because children do not know how to brush and floss their teeth like adults. Therefore, it is easy for plaque and other bacteria to coat the tooth surface and create excessive acidity. The acidity leads to corrosion of the enamel. Your child might have been complaining about feeling uncomfortable when taking cold and hot foods and beverages. If you ignored the complaints, the damage moved to the second stage, affecting the dentin. It eventually reaches the pulp cavity and causes a painful bacterial infection on the flesh. A dentist will assess the extent of the damage to determine whether it is necessary to pull the tooth.

Orthodontia

Orthodontia is another common concern that must be addressed. Children rarely have perfectly straight teeth without intervention from dentists. Children's dentists understand how to deal with misaligned and crooked teeth as soon as the problem appears. The best time to take your child for their first appointment with an orthodontic expert is when they are about seven or eight years old. They will get tooth alignment options to spare them from a lifetime of dental imperfections. 

Thumb Sucking

Children have odd behaviors that affect their oral health. One of these is thumb sucking. Typically, young babies will feel soothed when they suck on a pacifier. However, as they get older, they may resort to sucking their thumbs once the pacifier is taken away. The presence of a foreign object in their mouth will lead to misalignment, which might need surgery and other interventions in adulthood. Dentists have techniques they use to stop the child from sucking their thumb. 

These are common dental health issues among children. Work with a trusted and reliable children's dentist to help you constantly watch your child's dental habits and help them develop strong and healthy teeth. Contact a pediatric dental clinic for more information. 

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