April 20, 2022

3 Common Children’s Dental Issues

Every parent wants their child to have a bright, healthy smile. As a result, most parents will do all possible to save their children from developing common dental disorders.

Dental education is vital for everyone, but especially for parents. Knowing how to recognize the early indicators of common dental disorders in children allows a parent to take action to prevent them.

So, what are the most typical dental issues that your child can face?

Children's & Toddlers' Dental Problems

Unfortunately, dental disorders can affect people of all ages, including children. Surprisingly, significant teeth and gum problems can appear in children as early as their first tooth.

What’s the good news? If dental problems in children are recognized early, they can be avoided or minimized. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if your child sees a dentist before turning five, their dental bills will be decreased by half over the next five years! Your child should see a pediatric dentist by the age of one.

Here are three dental issues that every parent should be aware of:

Tooth rotting is a common problem.

This is the most prevalent dental issue in children. Tooth decay is the most common chronic pediatric ailment, according to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. Tooth decay, if left untreated, can lead to pediatric dental illness, which can cause eating and speaking difficulties.

Tooth decay is avoidable, and parents who take their children to the dentist on a regular basis can rapidly diagnose and cure the problem. In fact, dentists are delighted to assist your youngster in avoiding tooth decay entirely.

During your child’s visit, a dentist will clean their teeth and teach them correct brushing and flossing procedures. One of the simplest and least expensive ways to prevent dental decay is to brush your teeth regularly.

Sucking the thumb

Thumb sucking that continues over the age of four or five can cause problems as a child’s permanent teeth emerge.

Thumb sucking can cause a child’s teeth to become misaligned, resulting in an overbite. Thumb sucking can also cause a child’s upper and lower jaws to become misaligned, which can lead to speech problems.

Thumb sucking is common in infants and can be difficult to break. Parents who provide positive reinforcement, on the other hand, may be better able to help their children resist the need to suck their thumbs.

The pushing of the tongue

Tongue thrusting is common in children, but it could be an indication of an orofacial myofunctional disease (OMD) that affects a child’s ability to communicate adequately. OMDs are one of the most frequent – and often one of the most misunderstood – dental problems in toddlers.

A child’s tongue may slide forward during repose or protrude between his or her upper and lower teeth when speaking or swallowing if he or she has a tongue push, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). A youngster “may look, speak, and swallow differently than other children of the same age” if a tongue thrust is ignored.

Dentists can detect tongue thrusting in children as early as the first year of life and work with parents to design a treatment plan. Please contact us today to learn more about our kids’ dentistry services!