Tooth decay has been identified as one of the most important oral health problems. However, people of all ages, both adults and kids, are prone to tooth decay, but very young children are particularly vulnerable in the present day. There is a specific type of severe decay which is described as baby bottle tooth decay.
What is the reason why children are vulnerable to tooth decay?
- Children’s developmental stage between infancy and early childhood involves a lot of exploration, and the immediate world around them is so exciting that puts them at risk for many health hazards. Most would snack afterwards on candy and other sugary foods with no consideration of good oral hygiene.
- Children have no time to listen to lectures on their teeth during their most active ages and they might be too young to reason about the importance. Therefore, if the parent is not watchful in monitoring the teeth of their children, the result may be tooth decay.
- Many parents put their kids to bed with a bottle of milk or juice in their mouth. These two are harmful to your child’s teeth because they contain sugar in them, and sugar risks tooth decay for the developing child.
- Another group of parents will take their kids to a dentist only when they talk about the pain. It is a no-no whatever other time. It may not be noticed immediately when the tooth decay occurs, especially in children. You may only feel that something is wrong when you see your child winning in pain when eating sweets, or something warm or cold. It is also advised that they get regular check-ups to prevent getting to that point, whether or not they complain of pain.
- Many other parents won’t care much about their children’s teeth brushing, which is very important to see as they’re still very young. The earlier the children are taught good oral hygiene habits, the better it is and this includes brushing. Brushing should be an activity for the family to do together. This will give the kids a reason and an urge to want to do it more often. As a result, they learn early on how to look after their teeth. However, this should be done for proper guidance, under the supervision of a parent.
- Feed the children with proper nutrition that will reinforce their teeth: food loaded with minerals but not too much sugar. Otherwise they’ll stay susceptible to tooth decay forever.
These are just few of the most common reasons why children are most prone to tooth decay. To prevent a child from tooth decay, it’s important to take a kid to the dentist at the earliest. If you’re in Bradley IL, we can get you in touch with the best pediatric dentist in Bradley IL. Click here to proceed.