Preventing tooth decay with good oral hygiene will protect your child from serious dental pain. When left untreated, tooth decay can cause cavities and other serious dental issues in baby teeth. Even developing permanent teeth can be affected by tooth decay and cause pain as a result. Let’s take a look at what tooth decay does to baby teeth, and how you can prevent it.
What Causes Tooth Decay?
The main cause of tooth decay is the accumulation of harmful bacteria that form plaque. The bacteria in plaque produce acid whenever they ingest sugars and starches, and that acid attacks the tooth enamel. Poor oral hygiene and consuming foods or drinks that are high in sugar and starch lead to more bacteria and plaque. More plaque leads to enamel erosion, weakened teeth, and cavities.
How Does Tooth Decay Affect Baby Teeth?
Tooth decay leads to a variety of dental problems that cause pain and sensitivity, including cavities. While people of all ages can get cavities, young children are more susceptible, because baby teeth have a thinner layer of enamel than permanent teeth do.
Preventing and treating tooth decay in baby teeth is key to growing healthy permanent teeth. When left untreated, the bacteria that cause cavities can reach below the gumline and affect the development of permanent teeth. This can result in a variety of issues, including delayed eruption, tooth discoloration, and painful infections like tooth abscesses.
How to Prevent Cavities in Baby Teeth
Begin Dental Care Early On
The earlier you start taking care of your child’s teeth and gums, the better protected your child’s dental health will be. Establishing good brushing habits early will help your child maintain healthy teeth, even when they no longer need your assistance.
To best protect developing baby teeth, dental care should start even before your baby’s first tooth grows in. Gently wipe your baby’s gums every day with a soft, damp washcloth or finger brush to eliminate bacteria.
Then, once their first tooth grows in, start brushing your baby’s teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled child-sized toothbrush and water. As soon as your child has two teeth that are touching, start gently flossing between them once a day.
Once your child is two years old, you can start using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on their toothbrush. However, it’s important to teach them to spit after brushing to avoid swallowing the toothpaste and developing fluorosis.
Feed Your Child a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is necessary for good oral health and good health in general. Limiting sweet and starchy foods like candy, gummies, cookies, chips, and sugary breakfast cereals will help prevent cavities by giving bacteria less fuel to turn into acid.
Your child should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to promote healthy teeth. They should also consume foods and drinks that are rich in calcium like milk, cheese, and yogurt to build strong teeth and bones.
However, you should avoid letting your child go to bed with a bottle of milk or juice. The sugars will attack their teeth overnight, and falling asleep while drinking is a choking risk.
Have Your Dentist Apply Dental Sealants
Dental sealants can help protect kids’ teeth from cavities. Getting dental sealants is a painless procedure that involves applying a thin, tooth-colored acrylic coating to the surface of the teeth.
This protective coating seals the grooves where plaque, food particles, and bacteria like to hide. Just keep in mind that sealants are only effective at keeping tooth decay at bay as long your child practices good oral hygiene.
Schedule Regular Dental Visits
Your child should start seeing the dentist for preventive dental care shortly after their third birthday. Just like adults, kids need to have their teeth professionally cleaned twice a year to eliminate plaque and bacteria that a toothbrush and floss can’t remove. Your dentist can also take x-rays of your child’s mouth to see how their permanent teeth are developing.
Family Dentist in Flagstaff, Arizona
At Country Club Dental, we provide comprehensive dental care for patients of all ages in the Flagstaff area. From teeth cleanings to dental sealants, we offer all the services your child needs to maintain a healthy mouth.
We can also review how to best clean and care for your child’s baby teeth, so you can prevent cavities and the other consequences of tooth decay. Call us at 928-526-4314 today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Whitney or Dr. Mikaela Weedman.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/14/2022). Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels
