Preventing Cavities in Children

Dental cavities, also known as tooth decay or caries, are areas in the hard surface of the teeth that have undergone permanent damage and eventually advance into holes or openings. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2010, reported dental cavities as chronic disease five times prevalent than asthma in children. Approximately 25 percent of Wisconsin’s Head Start children between 3 and 4 of age have untreated cavities and 33 percent have had tooth decay that has been filled. This can be attributed to the fact that dental cavities are frequent in children, older adults, and teenagers. If left untreated, dental cavities enlarge and deepen into inner layers of the teeth leading to severe pain, tooth loss, and infection. There are various dental treatments available to get rid of tooth decay. For more information, you may visit http://lvdental.com.au.

Cause of dental cavities in children

A combination of several factors causes dental cavities in children. Some of these factors include, but not limited to, bacteria in the mouth, failure to getting their teeth cleaned properly, taking sugary drinks and snacking frequently. Frequent consumption of sugary food and starches without proper mouth cleaning, resulting in the formation of dental plaque.

The normal flora bacteria in the mouth cause dental plaque to produce acids. The acids erode the enamel leading to formation holes on the surface of the teeth. Continued erosion of the teeth eventually gets into the tooth pulp that contains nerves and blood vessels. At this point, a chid manifests with symptoms of tooth decay like swelling of the tooth pulp, severe toothache, discomfort and difficulty in eating food.

Preventing dental cavities in children

Having seen the serious symptoms and complications that dental cavities pose like tooth abscess and pain, It goes without saying that every parent, guardian and the nation would really want to know answers to the question, “ How to prevent dental cavities in children?” Well, fret not! This article will provide you with evidence-based ways to prevent dental cavities in children. These ways are as follows:

• Mothers and pregnant should strive to ensure they have clean mouths at all times. They can do this by seeking professional dental evaluation and good regular oral care. By doing this, they will minimize the transmission of cavity germs to infants.

• Provide good and nutritious snacks like meat, yogurt, fruits, peanuts, and vegetables. Avoid at all costs giving children sweets and starchy foods.

• Teach your children the essence of regular dental care. Instill a habit in them of brushing their teeth at least twice daily and daily flossing once a day.

• Schedule routine visits to the family dentist. A routine examination by the family doctor will ensure early detection and prevention of underway tooth decay. The family dentist will also advise you accordingly on diet and oral care for your child.

• Make use of dental sealants. You can consult the family dentist on this. Dental sealants offer many years of protection against dental cavities. Dental sealant does this by blocking cracks on the tooth surface that may harbor bacteria.

• Add nuts and cheese to the daily diet. Cheese and nuts have plenty of acid-fighters that help remineralize the teeth.

• Ensure that your child takes plenty of water daily, particularly fluoridated tap water. Water will help clean and reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth of your child. Fluoridated tap water will strengthen the teeth by adding another protective layer.

• Make sure that your child takes more of crisp fruits and vegetables that have plenty of water. Vegetables and crisp fruits that have high water content trigger the salivary glands to produce more saliva which in turn prevents bacteria from adhering to the teeth.