Are milk teeth important?

The 20 deciduous teeth, which start to erupt in infancy and help the child's digestion with processes such as biting, chewing and crushing until about 6-7 years of age, affect the development of the face and jaw. They protect the place of permanent teeth and prepare the necessary foundation for them before they come. The early loss of any deciduous tooth causes the neighbouring teeth to shift towards this space and causes crowding in the mouth.

Tooth cleaning in childhood

It is not possible to expect successful dental and oral hygiene from children at an early stage. Parents have a very serious duty here. Cleaning should be started after the first teeth appear in the baby's mouth (6-8 months). Teeth are wiped with a clean cheesecloth or gauze after each feeding. From 1-1.5 years of age, the teeth should be cleaned with a toothbrush with a small head, flat, soft and nylon bristles. After 2.5 years of age, a small amount of toothpaste can be placed on the brush. However, it should never be swallowed.

Bad habits in children adversely affect tooth structure

Nail Biting

The habit of nail biting in children is usually seen from the age of 2 years. This habit may cause lateral rotation of the teeth in the front part of the mouth and abrasion of the teeth in the biting direction.

Finger Sucking

The sucking function is very strong in newborn babies. The habit of thumb sucking should usually disappear by the end of 2 years of age. However, if the child continues to suck finger or pacifier even after the age of 2, both jaw and tooth structure do not develop. If the child does not give up these habits until the age of 4-5, a dentist should be consulted.

Tooth Grinding

Although the reason why children grind their teeth during sleep and throughout the day is not known for certain, it can be thought to be caused by the child trying to bring the milk teeth into contact with each other. External grinding may cause mild abrasion of milk canines and incisors. If teeth grinding is very severe, pain in the facial muscles, head, neck, ear and jaw joint may be observed.

Baby Bottle Bruises

In babies, brown and small spots can sometimes be seen especially on the teeth in the anterior region of the upper jaw with the eruption of milk teeth. In fact, these spots are actually tooth decay and the teeth are broken because of this decay. Such widespread caries is caused by giving milk with sugar, honey or biscuits in a bottle and leaving the bottle in the child's mouth overnight. Bottle caries is a type of caries that progresses very quickly and, if left untreated, can lead to decay of the lower incisors.

To prevent baby bottle rot

Do not let your baby sleep with a bottle in his/her mouth at night.
Do not add sweet things such as honey, sugar, biscuits into the milk you give in the bottle.
Take care of your baby's teeth with the first teeth. Wipe their teeth with a wet cheesecloth after each feeding.

If bottle caries is left untreated, it can cause pain and inflammation, making the baby restless and upsetting the diet. It also causes the permanent teeth coming from the bottom to be deformed. If these teeth have to be extracted, speech problems may occur in the child.

Precautions and Methods to Protect Children's Teeth

Fissure Sealant (Fissure Sealent)

There are indentations and protrusions called pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of molars. Fissure sealants are plastic-based materials that fill these pits to protect the teeth from caries. They are liquid and white in colour. It is a painless treatment that does not erode the teeth during application, does not require anaesthesia, and can be performed in as little as 5 minutes. Fissure sealants are always applied to the 1st and 2nd molars of children whose teeth have just erupted.

Fluoride Applications: Fluorine is an element that increases the resistance of the tooth against caries with the chemical bond it makes with tooth enamel. Due to this feature, it is also found in the structure of many toothpastes. Recent studies have shown that fluorine tablets given orally during pregnancy or infancy as a preventive treatment are not sufficient to prevent the development of dental caries. It has been scientifically proven that topical application of fluorine to tooth surfaces is a highly effective method in gaining resistance against caries. Therefore, the application of topical fluoride gels at 3-6 month intervals will provide significant protection against caries in the child's later life.

Fluorine application

Fluoride strengthens the enamel layer of the teeth, making them resistant to decay. It can be taken by drinking fluoridated water, swallowing fluoride supplements, using fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash or by local applications such as fluoride gels applied by the dentist. Fluoride is filled into a special mould with solution and gel by the dentist and applied to the mouth in a few minutes. This procedure should be repeated every 6 months. It is important that the drinking water in use contains fluorine. In cases where this is not sufficient, fluorine supplements can be taken by determining the appropriate dose. If your child takes too much fluoride, white, irregular spots (fluorosis) may appear on the front surfaces of the permanent teeth.

Placeholder Application

In cases where the milk tooth is lost prematurely due to decay, trauma or other similar reasons, it may be necessary to make a temporary placeholder until the permanent tooth arrives. Placeholders can be fixed or mobile. If a placeholder is not made when necessary, the teeth on both sides begin to shift towards empty spaces. The teeth in the opposite jaw begin to grow. In this case, orthodontic treatment becomes mandatory.

Milk tooth problems that may cause problems with permanent teeth

Impact to the anterior deciduous teeth may cause infections and irregularities in the shape, size and colour of the permanent teeth. If the deciduous teeth are extracted instead of being kept in place with treatment, space maintainers may be needed to protect the cavity. When the 6-year-old tooth erupts in the mouth, it is very important that the milk first and second molars are in place. Thus, the 6 year old tooth will erupt in its normal place.

Treatment of dental problems in children

Rotten

The decayed part of the tooth is cleaned and filled with permanent or temporary filling material. If the decay is very advanced, canal treatment can be applied up to the live part of the tooth.

Impact

Sometimes, in case of a fall or injury, the tooth may be dislocated or broken. If a fracture occurs as a result of an accident, it is necessary to wipe the tooth with warm water and keep it clean and go to the dentist without wasting time.

Tooth extraction

In some cases, the decay progresses to the living part of the tooth and can cause a painful and inflamed condition that extends from the roots of the tooth to the jawbone. If the problematic tooth is a deciduous tooth and the eruption of the underlying permanent tooth is very close, extraction can be performed. If the eruption of the permanent tooth is not imminent, a placeholder must be made to replace the extracted tooth.

To protect your children's oral health

Teach your child to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, which prevents tooth decay.
Avoid starchy and sugary foods.
Make sure that the water your child drinks is fluoridated.
Take your child to the dentist for regular dental check-ups.

What Does Preventive Dentistry Do?

Gaining the habit of tooth brushing
Gaining the habit of using dental floss
Monitoring tooth eruption (eruption guidance)
Detection and prevention of oral habits (such as finger or pacifier sucking)
Preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatments (placeholder appliance applications)
Gaining balanced and non-caries-causing eating habits
Fissure sealant applications
Fluoride applications
Mouth guard applications for protection from sports injuries
Co-operation with parents for these protective practices

Pedodontics (Child Dentistry)