Cavities & Baby Teeth


 A cavity on a baby tooth may seem like an insignificant item that can wait for treatment. But that’s not
 true. “Did you know decay can spread from baby teeth to your child’s permanent teeth?” asks pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller.  He finds a significant number of parents that have never been educated on the importance of taking care of cavities in baby teeth.
“Even though baby teeth are going to fall out, they are setting the stage for your daughter or son’s permanent teeth, and severe decay can impact their overall health,” says Dr. Fuller. For example, your child’s cavity, if not taken care of, can develop into an abscess. An abscess is a collection of pus that pools in the tooth. It can cause severe swelling and infection. An infection that is not treated can end up spreading throughout the body and can cause severe pain. The unfortunate consequences are missed work for you and missed school days for them.
A child’s smile also impacts their self-esteem. As your children get older and go to school they may become self-conscious if their teeth are decayed or have cavities in them that have not been fixed.  Their smile is the first thing that other individuals see. If it is riddled with decay other children may make fun of them impacting your child’s sense of worth. A secondary problem in their education may develop because the new standards require that students are constantly discussing their ideas and information with classmates. This constant peer interaction puts an extra pressure on students who are self-conscious about communicating with peers.
Dr. Fuller recommends taking care of cavities as soon as possible. The treatment is relatively easy and painless if caught early.

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 4, 2014 at 8:00 AM

    My poor little niece is suffering from the side effects of "bottle mouth". I guess if an infant sleeps with a bottle that has milk in it, it can give the child cavity's, as well as make his or her teeth brittle over time. I wish that we had known sooner; now all we can do is have her teeth fixed.
    Cynthia | http://www.alldaydentistry.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownDecember 7, 2014 at 7:30 PM

      Hello Cynthia, that is too bad. However, now that you know you can make positive changes in the right direction.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your comment will be approved after it has been read by one of our staff.

Popular posts from this blog

A gap between the teeth

Image
When your baby’s teeth first begin to come in and you notice that gap between their teeth when they smile, the family may coo that it’s cute. "However, it is very important that if your child has a gap in their teeth due to a maxillary frenum, or another reason, that it be corrected," says pediatric dentist Dr. Cameron Fuller. Your child’s education, speech and self-confidence is dependent upon it being corrected at an early age.             As your child gets older they are working on saying certain sounds. Children who are younger than five should be developing the ability to say all of the sounds. After five if these sounds are not solidified it will make it much more difficult for them to learn to correctly speak. “And by age seven if the sounds are not correct they run the risk of never being able to say them correctly,” says Dr. Cameron Fuller . By age five and six your child should be able to say their S’s and R’s correctly which are some of
Read more

What is a dental abscess?

Image
One of the most common conditions affecting children's teeth are dental abscesses.  Children with severe cavities often have teeth that abscess.  Abscess of lower left primary tooth.  NOTE the tissue swelling on the tooth. Radiograph of abscess on middle tooth.  Note the dark outline of the short root. Dental abscesses often start out as large cavities on the teeth. Once the cavity invades the pulp of the tooth the infection spreads to the bone. At that point the tooth is no longer salvageable. A dental abscess is a swelling of the tissue around an infected tooth. The following symptoms may result from a dental abscess.  Children can often present with facial swelling, fever,  altered eating habits, poor concentration, poor sleep patterns, breathing problems, and general malaise. The treatment that is always recommended is antibiotics and extraction. 
Read more

Do You Have Time For a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies for your children can crop up at any time and while some of them may not be able to be prevented, some can. For example, dental decay that damages the root, causing a need for a root canal, can be prevented with routine cleanings, regular brushing and flossing and ensuring that your child consumes healthy food. While dental emergencies are stressful, we can help decrease that stress. Dental emergencies can be anything from a cracked or broken tooth, dental pain or toothache. For a toothache we recommend rinsing the area with warm water, if there is food or another item stuck between the teeth, remove it immediately to see if that reduces or decreases the pain. If there is swelling you can apply a cold compress. If the toothache does not subside, it is recommended that you contact Dr. Cameron Fuller and his team in order to schedule an appointment right away. Sometimes trauma can cause a tooth to be pushed up through the jawbone. If this happens
Read more