What causes dental cavities?

When you consume any food or drink containing carbohydrate, or sugar, the bacteria in the plaque on your teeth metabolise it, producing an acid attack which lasts for at least 20 minutes. The acid dissolves the outer surface layer of the teeth (enamel).

The acid attack will be much longer if the food remains stuck onto the teeth, or if snacking continues over a period of time, eg. eating a bag of sweets one by one, or continuously licking a lollipop. Also, If babies or toddlers fall asleep with a bottle, or whilst nursing, the milk will remain on their teeth for a longer period of time.

If food and drinks containing sugar are limited to mealtimes, with sugar free snacks and drinks in between, the teeth can recover from these short periods of acid attacks. In the early stages of decay (before a cavity is formed), the enamel can repair itself by taking in minerals from saliva. Fluoride also helps to strengthen the enamel in this process.

However, with frequent snacks and drinks containing sugar, cavities become much more likely to occur.

Once the enamel layer crumbles, a cavity is formed, bacteria enter and the decay process spreads rapidly.

To prevent dental decay, the aim should be to reduce the amount of time that any food containing sugar is present in the mouth. Drinking water or rinsing after eating can help. Try to make snacks and drinks, between meals, sugar free as far as possible. 

 

Regular, thorough brushing to remove plaque build-up from the teeth will also help but, as it is not possible to prevent plaque from building up again after brushing, diet is of extreme importance in preventing cavities.

Top Toothbrushing Tips

Tooth brushing is an important healthy habit to establish early on. 

For babies, you can use a clean, moist cloth to wipe the gums and the teeth once they start to erupt. Change to a soft brush or finger brush once they have at least two teeth. 

Finger brush

Parents should be in charge of brushing until their child reaches the age of 6 or 7, and older children will still need encouragement and supervision.

For children up to 3 or 4 years it is easier to see and brush their teeth if they lie down with their head on your lap. Try to make brushing fun - maybe by singing a song as you brush.

For children under 2 years, toothpaste is not advised. Once you start using toothpaste, use a small pea sized amount and encourage your child to spit it out. If your child is unable to spit out after brushing you can use a non-fluoridated toothpaste. Whilst fluoride is useful for preventing cavities, swallowing too much can cause fluorosis and staining of the developing adult teeth. Even after they learn to spit, young children will still swallow some paste so a toothpaste with a lower fluoride content is advised until around 7 years old. Ask your dentist for advice on which toothpaste is best for your child. 

Tooth brushing at twice a day should become part of the child's daily routine.  Let your child see you brushing. Small children love to copy what their parent or older sibling is doing. If your child sees you brushing regularly, it will set them a good example to follow.

It takes two minutes to brush teeth well. It may help to get a timer, or use one on your mobile phone. Make sure that all tooth surfaces are brushed.

Toothbrushes should be changed every three to four months, or sooner if they show signs of wear. Although not essential, a toothbrush with a favourite cartoon character on it may help motivate your child. You can use an electric toothbrush, if you find it easier, as long as it is one designed for children.

If you sometimes forget or your child is reluctant, you could use a reward chart, on which you place a star or smiley face, each time the child has their teeth brushed.

It's never too early to start preventing tooth decay

Young children can start to develop dental caries as soon as their first teeth enter the mouth. As a parent, awareness and prevention can never start too early.

It may be difficult to see all your child's teeth, especially the back molars, and so many children develop cavities before their parents realise there is a problem. By the time a child gets toothache the cavity will already be quite deep. It is best to take your child for a check-up at the dentist at around 1 year old.

An early check-up enables the dentist to assess the risk factors for your child developing dental decay and give personalised preventive advice. Also, if early signs of dental decay are seen, it may be possible to prevent it progressing to become a cavity. 

In future blogs we will be focusing on what you can do at home to keep your child's teeth healthy. 

Every Child Deserves a Beautiful Smile

Every child deserves a beautiful smile

The anterior teeth in children have two very important function .
1) It helps in speech development
2) Aesthetics

Now a days with increased exposure to electronic media the kids are becoming more aware of the way they look at a much earlier age. Hence, It becomes very important we as parents understand their concept of self image and help them built their confidence.



The anterior or the front teeth in children can gat damaged and look un aesthetic due to one of these reasons
1) Decay especially Early childhood caries
2) Fall or fracture of the teeth
3) Crooked or missing teeth

All these can be corrected by a simple visit to the pediatric dentist. Few of the general treatment options are

1) Composite restorations
2) Strip crowns
3) Removable dentures
4) Pre formed crowns

Final treatment plan for a child is custom designed based on the childs oral health. After all every child surely deserves a beautiful and healthy smile.