7 of the Most Common Dental Concerns for Kids

Dental challenges and issues are a normal part of childhood. While this is all part of growing up, it is still necessary to pay close attention to small changes in your kid’s oral health. Unlike adults, children are more prone to getting infections. To keep them protected from serious infections, it is essential to be aware of the dental health issues that your children may face.

Prevention is always the best way to avoid sickness. Read on below and learn more about the most common dental problems that children experience:

1. Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Proper oral hygiene is important even early during childhood. Babies can be at risk of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay and infections when their oral health is neglected. To protect babies and toddlers from this dental issue, regularly clean their baby teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush and wipe gums with clean, soft cloth.

2. Thumbsucking

Thumbsucking is a habit that children develop to soothe themselves. While this is pretty normal for babies, it can become a problem if they still continue to suck their thumb beyond four years of age. This is the time when permanent teeth start to grow, which means their bites are slowly aligning. Thumbsucking can cause alignment problems, which can be really hard and expensive to fix.

3. Malocclusion

Malocclusion occurs because of many reasons. This can be the result of thumbsucking, prolonged bottle use, abnormally shaped teeth and birth defects. If not treated early, maloclussion can make teeth cleaning difficult and this can eventually lead to cavities and tooth decay.

4. Improperly Spaced Teeth

Children who lose teeth prematurely may develop problems with the spacing of their growing teeth. Without proper treatment, this can result to crowding and bite problems. However, this can be easily fixed with corrective dental accessories like space maintainers, which will help adjust the spacing inside the mouth.

5. Sports-Related Dental Injuries

Active children who participate in sports are at risk in getting sports-related dental injuries like broken teeth. To make sure your child is protected when playing sports, invest in high quality mouthguards. The best mouthguards for kids will provide maximum protection that softens the impact of a blow so that the teeth and jaw remain secured.

6. Cavities

Cavities are very common problems for kids, especially those who love to snack on sugary treats. Aside from regular brushing and flossing, sealants are added protection against cavities. Typically applied on molars, these provide an extra barrier so that your teeth are protected from bacteria.

7. Dental Emergencies

Unexpected dental emergencies can also happen to children. It can be an overwhelming feeling to see your child in pain or lashing out because of a dental injury. Before freaking out, keep in mind that not all dental emergencies need to be rushed to the hospital. Minor problems can be dealt with at home, with just simple first aid treatment.

Here are some important first aid treatments to remember:

• Swelling in gums can be reduced by applying cold compress to the affected area. Cold compress also work well in treating bite injuries on the tongue and lips.
• Toothaches can be eased with a warm water rinse. Other effective toothache home remedies include peppermint tea bags, garlic cloves and vanilla extract.
• A knocked out tooth can still be salvaged if it can be re-implanted within 30 minutes. Try to reposition the tooth back in the socket if you can. Make sure to keep the tooth moist while you transport it to the nearest doctor.