What To Do When I Notice Decay On My Child’s Tooth?

Your kids will eventually lose their first set of teeth. However, you still need to help them take care of their teeth to prevent children’s tooth decay. Ideally, you should have regular dental appointments for yourself and all your children. However, you should promptly seek dental care if you notice decay on one of your children’s teeth between appointments.

Why Your Children’s Dental Health Matters

Some people don’t worry as much as they should about children’s teeth. After all, kids will eventually have their baby teeth fall out. However, taking good care of your kids’ teeth from the time they first appear can help your children in multiple ways.

Kids who have regular dental care from an early age will have lower chances of fearing the dentist as they grow older. Dental appointments become regular visits and not something to fear.

Secondly, kids with regular dental care can have dental problems addressed early. Dental care can prevent children’s tooth decay, which is very common among babies and toddlers. Dental intervention can even reverse the process in the earliest stages of caries development.

Third, starting kids early in getting dental exams and practicing dental care at home builds an effortless habit in them that can last a lifetime. Kids will take better care of their adult teeth if they have already become accustomed to brushing and exams for their baby teeth.

Causes of Decay in Children’s Teeth

Decaying in children’s teeth can happen for the same reasons as in adults. The most common causes of dental decay include a lack of saliva or not brushing away food from the teeth.

Food or sugary substances in the mouth provide food for bacteria that naturally live in the mouth. When the oral bacteria feed off sugar, they release acid. This acid causes a breakdown of the teeth. Eventually, cavities occur.

Laying a baby to sleep with a formula, milk, or juice-filled bottle is a major sugar source damaging kids’ teeth. Other issues include letting kids go to bed without brushing their teeth or not brushing their teeth after they eat.

Some areas have low levels of fluoride in the water. This can happen in homes with well water or in areas that don’t add fluoride to municipal water. Fluoride prevents cavities, and not having exposure to it in drinking water increases the chances of decay.

Another concern for decay in very young children’s teeth is “chalky teeth.” This condition happens during fetal development. While in the womb, the enamel over the teeth does not properly harden. Therefore, the teeth don’t have their strengthening barrier against decay. If one of your children has “chalky teeth,” you may see brown or white spots on the teeth. These spots indicate a higher risk for dental cavities throughout life because they can appear on adult teeth later in life.

Finally, saliva is an important natural fighter of acid and bacteria in the mouth. Saliva neutralizes oral acid, reducing its impact on the teeth. Kids who have dry mouths may not produce enough saliva to reduce acid in the mouth.

Consequences of Tooth Decay in Children

Left unchecked, decay can cause serious problems for the affected child. Just as cavities are painful for adults, the same holds true for kids. Very young children may not be able to tell you that their mouth hurts. Instead, they may be fussier and not want to eat.

Advanced tooth decay can lead to infections in the tooth, which could cause swelling and serious pain. Infections could spread to the rest of the body and become dangerous.

Severe decay may require an extraction of the tooth, which may necessitate additional discomfort during treatment for the child compared to getting a basic filling. Plus, extractions may prevent permanent teeth from growing correctly in the mouth.

Some dentists choose sedation or nitrous oxide to help kids stay still during treatment that requires extensive work on the teeth. Parents incur the costs of these treatments, which tend to add up as the decay worsens.

The sooner you get treatment for your children’s tooth decay, the less discomfort your kids experience and the less money you’ll have to spend on treatment.

Signs of Children’s Tooth Decay

As a parent, you have a valuable role in watching for signs of decay in your kids’ teeth. If you catch decay at its earliest stages, a dentist can reverse the issue before it damages the tooth.

Regularly check your children’s teeth as you clean them before they can use a toothbrush themselves. Look for the following warning signs in the mouth and behavior of your kids:

• Refusing to eat or drink cold or sugary foods or not wanting to eat at all
• Excessive fussiness
• Lethargy
• White spots on the teeth showing enamel breakdown
• Light brown spots of early-stage cavities
• Dark brown or black spots of advanced decay
• Visible hole in a tooth

If any of your children show the above symptoms, make a dental appointment as soon as possible. However, some symptoms indicate a spreading infection, a medical emergency requiring prompt care. These signs include fever, pus draining around a tooth, and swelling.

Treatment of Children’s Tooth Decay

A dentist will evaluate your kids’ teeth and determine the best treatment method. They will try to help your children to maintain their natural teeth by filling the cavity or placing a crown over the affected tooth.

Preventing Children’s Tooth Decay

Preventing tooth decay in your kids is important for their lifelong dental health. Do the following to help your children have healthy teeth:

• Don’t put babies to sleep with juice or milk in their bottles.
• Schedule dental exams for your kids as soon as the first tooth erupts.
• Brush your children’s teeth until they can use a toothbrush themselves.
• Ask your kids’ dentist about fluoride sealants to prevent decay.
• Teach your children to care for their teeth regularly.

With preventative care, your children can avoid decay and have a healthy dental foundation.

Bring Your Kids to Us at Cedar Walk Family and Cosmetic Dentistry for Great Pediatric Dental Care

If you notice decay in one of your children’s teeth, you should make an appointment for a dental evaluation. Contact us at Cedar Walk Family and Cosmetic Dentistry to set up a visit for your child. If you need a regular source of preventative dental care for the entire family, we can also help with that. Let us help you to keep your kids and your teeth healthy for the rest of your lives.