KIDS DENTISTRY
Kids develop their set of milk/primary teeth by 3yrs. By the age of 6-7 years, they start losing their milk teeth and the permanent teeth start emerging. By 13yrs all permanent teeth are in mouth.
If proper care is not taken during this time, various problems can emerge which may last even a lifetime.
Therefore, it is advised to take care of your kid’s teeth, which includes Oral Hygiene routine and regular visits dentist.
Cases Treated at
Kallur Dentistry
Thumb Sucking Habit
Space Maintainer
Thumb Sucking Habit
When does one need Pedodontic Treatment?
- Decayed teeth
- Painful teeth and gums
- Crooked teeth
- Improper jaw growth
- Low self esteem due to ugly teeth
- Bad habits like thumb or lip sucking, nail biting, tongue thrusting, mouth breathing etc.
SOME PROCEDURES
01. DECAYED TEETH
Fillings or root canal treatment are done depending on the severity of the decay
02. THUMB SUCKING
Thumb sucking is a natural reflex for children. No harm is done to their teeth or jaws until permanent teeth start to erupt. Most children stop these habits on their own, but if they are still sucking their thumbs or fingers past the age of three, several complications can arise.
Preventive therapy
- Children suck their thumbs when they feel insecure. Work on correcting the cause of anxiety, instead of the thumb sucking habit.
- Reward children when they refrain from sucking.
- Encouragement from siblings helps tremendously.
- If the habit is accompanied by a favored stuffed animal, then setting a date to quit can help reinforce halting the habit.
- We can encourage children to stop the habit and explain what could happen if they continue.
- Non toxic bitter substances can be applied on the finger
- If these modalities fail, remind the children of their habit by bandaging the thumb or putting a sock on the hand at night..
- After several approaches fail, we recommend the use of a mouth appliance to help the child to quit the habit.
Appliance therapy
Appliances usually stops thumb sucking immediately. These will then be in place for an additional six months to confirm discontinuation of the habit. They are crafted and cemented behind the teeth, making it less visible
Space maintainers
Children may need space maintainers if the tooth is extracted due to dental decay. A space maintainer is an appliance to maintain the space for eruption of permanent tooth. If the space is not maintained, permanent tooth can get stuck in the jawbone and fail to erupt which may require orthodontic treatment. Space maintainer is removed once the permanent tooth erupts into the space.
Frequently Asked Questions
After milk teeth erupts in the mouth.
Brushing should start with the eruption of the first tooth. Toothpaste shouldn’t be used if the child is too young to spit
Mothers should clean the baby’s mouth irrespective of the age. Mothers can clean the mouth with the help of a soft cloth
Most babies have a white coating on their tongue weeks, which is completely normal.
- They play the primary role of biting, chewing, and grinding the food before digesting it
- They are also important in speech patterns and training
- Milk teeth are the basis of the development of the jaw bones and muscles.
- They provide the necessary shape of the mouth and room for permanent teeth to erupt.