Why is Dental Health Important in Children?

People often attach importance to their regular oral care. Oral and dental health in childhood is as important as it is in adults. The milk teeth in children can be shown as the source of not paying much attention to dental health in this period. Because they are temporary. However, the care and treatment of milk teeth should not be neglected in terms of the general health of the child.

Pedodontics, also known as pediatric dentistry, can find solutions to oral and dental problems that may be encountered in childhood and later with its applications and treatments. Pedodontics deals with the dental health of children between the ages of 0-15. It has applications such as the treatment of caries in milk teeth, deformities in the jaw, and monitoring the development of teeth during adolescence.

Care of Baby Teeth in Children

Baby teeth begin to emerge from 6 months of age and are usually completed at 3 years of age. In this period, sensitive care is needed to prevent the milk teeth from decaying. Milk teeth begin to leave their place for permanent teeth around the age of 7 and this change continues until the age of 12-13.

Every child needs healthy milk teeth until they reach this age. They not only have an effect on nutrition and speaking ability but also guide the permanent teeth that will replace them during the replacement. When caring for milk teeth, it should not be forgotten that they can decay more easily than permanent teeth.

Considerations for the Protection of Milk Teeth

• Bacteria can accumulate between the gums and milk teeth of infants and children. Especially in babies, cleaning should be done with the help of sterile gauze after meals.
• Care should be taken against bottle rot in babies who have a bottle habit at night.
• Sugary foods should be avoided as much as possible in the feeding of babies.
• If there is a crack on the chewing surface of the teeth, which is often the first place where dental caries are seen, treatment should be done before decay starts.
• It is very important to gain the habit of regular tooth brushing at an early age. Many of the problems seen in adulthood can be caused by lacking the habit of brushing teeth.
• After the completion of primary teeth in children, regular dental examinations should be started.