You often hear: "why treat milk teeth if they fall out anyway?". Of course they will fall out, but they should not be spoiled, because caries automatically moves from deciduous teeth to permanent teeth. How to take care of deciduous teeth, when to go to the dentist with a child and can an orthodontist correct a malocclusion for a young child?

The first teeth are less mineralized (hardened) and therefore more susceptible tocaries . Their neglect will always take revenge in the future. We can say with 100% certainty that ina childwho losesmilk teethearly, the maxilla and mandible will not develop properly. Permanent teeth will not have enough space to grow in even rows, they will appear one above the other, on the side of the lips or the palate. This malocclusion can be eliminated by surgery or with the use of a fixed orthodontic appliance worn for several years. If this is not done quickly enough, the face will also deform.

How to take care of baby's milk teeth?

Children's dentists believe that parents should go to the first appointment with their child in the 6-7 month old when incisors appear. Of course, the doctor does not perform any treatments then, but explains in detail how to clean the gums and teeth, what to pay attention to, what to avoid to prevent caries and to make permanent teeth grow strong and he althy. Visits to the dentist must take place as regularly as at the pediatrician or in the treatment room for vaccinations. Ideally every 3-6 months. Then you can be sure that you will not miss incorrect teething or the onset of caries. The more visits, the less trouble in the future.

As long as the baby is breastfed, he does not need to clean his gums and teeth because breast milk does not contain substances that cause cavities or irritate the gums. When you start eating soups and fruit, drinking juices, the reaction in the mouth turns sour and it becomes necessary to care for the gums daily. This is best done with a clean gauze swab around your finger and dipped in chamomile tea. We wipe the gums, and then the first teeth, both from the side of the cheeks and tongue.

First milk toothbrush

Around 12 months of age, a child can imitate the behavior of its relatives. That's when we should show him what the brush is for. Even if he treats it like a chew toy initially, it's okay. Over time, with our help, he will start to use it properly.

Children can use the same toothpastes as adults, provided that there is a minimum amount of the preparation on the brush, and brushing is carried out under control.

A common mistake parents make when a child is reluctant to use a toothbrush is scare them with pain and the dentist. A good example is very important. It's best to make cleaning your teeth family fun - then regular oral hygiene will be a pleasant association and will become a good habit for the rest of your life.

Milk teeth, like permanent teeth, can be protected against decay by varnishing or sealing (more durable than varnishing, but not often used, because it is expensive). These treatments are safe at any age.

Treatment of milk teeth

Both big and small don't like going to the dentist. Well, cleaning teeth from caries, including milk ones, usually hurts. However, an experienced doctor can distract the patient from terrible tools and take care of the teeth properly. In offices specializing in the treatment of children, attractive, colorful and even phosphorescent fillings are quite commonly used as an incentive. Your toddler can help the doctor choose and prepare them. Thanks to this, they are more willing to consent to drilling and endure it better. If a child comes to the doctor too late, when the teeth are significantly damaged by caries, a good dentist will not remove them. Lapping, i.e. impregnating with silver s alts, can be a rescue. After the procedure, the teeth turn black (and will remain so until they fall out), but caries does not develop.

Loss of milk teeth

There is a permanent tooth underneath the milk tooth. As it prepares to grow, the body begins to absorb the milk tissue, which gradually disappears from below, loses the root and grips less and less. Finally, it falls out (we can see that there is no root) and a permanent tooth appears in its place.

However, sometimes the milk milk does not lose its root and does not want to give way to the permanent tooth, which is looking for a different way. Then the milk milk has to be removed. It is done in the office, and in the place of the removed tooth, if it grows between two other milk teeth, a special spring (the so-called space maintainer) should be inserted to keep free space for the permanent tooth.

Sugar causes tooth decay

We have little chance to protect the child from tooth decay. However, we can delay and limit it. There is one condition - we must give the child as few sweets and sweetened drinks as possible. Sugar is the main factor contributing to the development of this disease. Parents often doa sin, accustoming children to fall asleep with a bottle of thick, sweet juice or milk. Then there is no chance to brush your teeth or even rinse your mouth with water. An older child who likes sweets must be taught to try to brush their teeth after each meal. But remember that science will go to the forest when the little one finds out that the parents do differently. The order to go to the bathroom will be treated as a punishment.

The shape of the soothers is equally important. If a child cannot live without them, because we are used to constant suckling, choose the anatomically shaped ones. Teethers that parents give their children to chew to calm down also do not support the proper development of teeth. Between 8 and 12 months of age, we should wean the baby from the teether and the soother, because uncontrolled sucking and biting contribute to malocclusion.

The development of malocclusion is influenced by sucking the finger. When it is the thumb, the upper teeth will come forward and the lower teeth will move back significantly. Sucking on your index finger will cause reverse deformation. If the finger is held in the center of the mouth, a boat-like gap will form between the teeth. It sometimes happens that an infant has a great need to suckle and must have something in his mouth. In such a situation, the lesser evil is a well-shaped teat. When your baby starts to sit up, the nipple or teether will successfully replace the bread crust.

What causes malocclusion?

Proper tooth development is largely related to breastfeeding. While suckling the breast, the child extends the jaw, which guarantees its proper development. Children who drink from the bottle from birth often have underdevelopment of the jaw, the so-called rear jaw. This is a defect that is difficult to eliminate even with long-term orthodontic treatment. Sometimes, in order to obtain a correct, non-blemish face oval and a nice profile, surgical correction is necessary.

Milk orthodontics

You should make sure that the milk teeth remain in the mouth as long as possible. It is also important to position your baby during sleep. Children should sleep on a small pillow or a mattress that is 15-20 degrees higher.

Real orthodontic treatment is only used when the child has all permanent teeth.

Lying flat, they often sleep with their mouths open. The lower jaw drops, retracts and does not develop properly. When the doctor determines that not only the teeth, but also the facial muscles are developing incorrectly, he recommends the use of the so-called vestibular plate. It resembles a flat nipple, which the baby should try to pull out of his mouth while keeping his mouth tightly closed. Such gymnastics stimulates the development of muscles and allows for the correct shaping of the jaw and mandible.

Gum only without sugar

It can be used for cleansing and in exceptional situations replace tooth brushing, e.g. when we ate a meal outside the home. Chewing increases saliva production, and she washes food debris from her teeth. The gum is chewed for no more than 10 minutes after each meal. But kids like to do it much longer and much more often. The constant chewing of gum contributes to the weakening of the mandibular ligaments, which do not have time to regenerate, and they lengthen. Then the mandible moves forward and the lower teeth overlap the upper ones, and the facial features are distorted.

Natural history of teeth

Teeth are harder than bones and develop completely differently. Milk milk embryos begin to form in the seventh week of gestation. Between 24 and 30 weeks, germs of incisors, canines and permanent premolars are formed. The bud of the second molar (seven) is formed in the sixth month, and the third (eighth) only in the fifth year of a child's life.

Milklets grow at some distance from each other. They do not merge until the next ones are killed. They are finer, more oval than the solid ones and have a slightly bluish tinge

Teething, or eruption of milk teeth, occurs at 6-7 months of age. It involves the movement of the teeth from the jaw bone to the appropriate place in the mouth. From now on, they should be taken care of in order to prevent caries and save the child from pain, bite deformation and problems with permanent teeth.

The lower teeth come out slightly earlier than the upper ones. The first that parents can see are the medial incisors, called the lower ones. Then there are the lateral incisors (twos), the first molars (four), the canines (three), and finally the second molars (five). Sometimes the order is different, but don't worry.

Truth or myth?

  • Milk teeth become weaker the sooner they erupt.

True. If the milk teeth come out by the fifth month and permanent ones by the fifth month, it is called early teething. An extreme case is the so-called premature teething: a baby is born with or erupts teeth during the neonatal period. If the first milk teeth appear after the 12th month, and the permanent ones after the 8th year of life, it is called late teething. The given time intervals are considered normal, but nothing bad happens when the teeth start showing up even six months later.

  • Babies always suffer from teething.

True. In 60 percent children, a few days before the appearance of the tooth, the gums are red and swollen. The baby drools profusely, puts his fingers or others in his mouthitems. It often damages the mucosa and inflammation develops on the gums. Sometimes it is accompanied by increased temperature (37-37.5). When the tooth crown pierces the gum, the symptoms disappear.

  • Lack of appetite may be a signal that your child's teeth are growing.

True. A teething child is restless, sleeps badly, refuses to eat. Growing teeth should not be associated with fever over 37.5, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting or skin rashes. You need to see a doctor with such symptoms.

  • Soaking a pacifier in sugar or honey helps your baby fall asleep.

False. Neither sugar nor honey make it easier to fall asleep. Instead, they provide glucose. After just a few minutes, it will be converted by bacteria living in the mouth into acid, which will start to destroy the teeth and lead to the development of tooth decay.

  • Caries is an infectious disease.

True. It is not allowed to lick the teat, teaspoon, drink from the same bottle as the child or give him bites to eat. In this way, not only caries is transmitted, but also bacteria from other diseases.

Important

We have a living set of tools in our mouth. Their different shapes to suit cutting, crushing and gripping can prepare food well for digestion. A person has two types of teeth: milk and permanent.

There are 20 milk teeth, 10 in each of the maxilla and the mandible. They fall into three groups: incisors, canines and molars.

There are 32 permanent teeth, 16 each in the maxilla and the mandible. They fall into four groups: incisors, canines, premolars and molars. They are larger than dairy and more massive, more resistant to caries, although it depends on individual characteristics and compliance with oral hygiene.

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Dentistry and Orthodontics