The Precious Tiny Pearls

Milk teeth / primary teeth start erupting at six months and the last primary tooth falls off at around 12-13 years of age. They play a major role in a child’s development as they help in chewing food till age 12 years, speech formation and articulation of sounds, growth of jaws and proper and timely eruption of permanent teeth. Children who loose milk teeth untimely are more likely to develop speech defects, develop smaller jaws, abnormal facial appearance and malpositioned permanent teeth.

Hence, milk teeth aid the child’s overall growth and development in numerous ways but are not as strong as permanent teeth.

How to take care of your child’s teeth?

1. Brushing: twice daily for 2 mins with a soft-bristled toothbrush and pea-sized amount of pediatric toothpaste.

2. Rinsing: With water for at least 20-30 seconds after every meal and snack, remove all the food particles from the teeth.

3. Food habits: Reduce snacking between meals. Avoid sticky, soft and sugary foods like chocolates, chips, cakes, bread, biscuits

a. Option 1: Include these foods along with their meals, and clean the mouth immediately,

b. Option 2: replace these snacks with healthier options like milk, fresh fruits, fruit juices

4. Regular dental check with Pediatric Dentist: helps get tips in maintaining a healthy oral cavity and identify cavities or any other early dental problems, avoiding pain and trauma for the child and expensive dental treatments in future.

Problem with the tiny pearls?

Visit a pediatric dentist soon to get the child’s teeth checked and get help in deciding what’s best for your child.

1. Fillings: Dentist will clean your child’s tooth and fill the cavity with dental cement

2. Pulp therapy: when the cavity is deep enough to cause pain, your child will be needing this treatment. The dentist will give a shot of local anesthesia so the child won’t feel pain getting treated, then remove the dead and infected portions of the tooth and fill with a medicated material.

3. Crowns: will be needed after pulp therapy to keep the tooth strong until it sheds off. These can be stainless steel or golden or tooth-coloured.

4. Extraction: Tooth removal is the last choice when the tooth is damaged badly and lacks strength even to take a crown.

5. Space maintainer: will be needed for extracted milk teeth to maintain the jaw shape and space until the permanent tooth erupts.

6. Developmental defects in jaws and oral tissues can also be corrected by minor orthodontic treatments and minor surgical procedures. You need not worry about pain or fear for your child, as a Pediatric Dentist will perform all the treatments completely painless and child-friendly.

(Owner of The Tooth Doctor Multispecialty Dental Clinic, Santhosh and Champapet)