1.When do infants and toddlers start their oral health care routine and how do they do it?
Oral cleaning for infants and toddlers can be started before the first milk teeth erupt. The way is that parents wrap their fingers in gauze dipped in water to gently wipe and massage the child’s gums and teeth.
2.When is the first dental visit for my child? How often should I visit the dentist?
It is generally recommended that a child have his or her first oral examination when the first tooth comes in, i.e. around 6 months of age, or before 12 months of age. The first oral examination is also the beginning of the child’s familiarity with the dental environment and the medical staff, and a pleasant experience can avoid or reduce the fear of dental treatment in the future. It is generally recommended that children should have an oral examination once every 3-6 months, and children with a high incidence of caries should shorten the interval between examinations.
3.When should I start using toothbrush and toothpaste?
From the first tooth, you can choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and small head to clean your child’s teeth, but you don’t need to use toothpaste because your child is young and may swallow toothpaste by mistake. Around the age of 3, you can start to use fluoride toothpaste for your child, the size of a pea is sufficient.
4.Can children use dental floss?
Yes, the incidence of tooth decay on the adjacent surface of teeth of children after 3 years old increases significantly, and the correct use of dental floss can effectively reduce the occurrence of adjacent surface caries.
5.What should I pay attention to in terms of diet to prevent dental caries effectively?
Sucrose is an important causative factor of caries, so we should strictly control the part of sweet food containing sucrose in children’s diet, especially the frequency of sweet food intake; for infants and children, we should minimize night feeding and avoid sleeping with milk bottles.
6.What are the methods to prevent dental caries at present?
The most effective way to prevent caries is correct brushing and flossing. In addition, good dietary habits and reducing the intake and frequency of sweets are the basis for maintaining dental health; fluoride, fluoride mouthwash and sulcus closure are also effective methods to prevent dental caries.
7.Is it necessary to do the closure?
A large number of studies have shown that the incidence of dental caries can be effectively reduced by the closure of the sulcus. Most of the molars in the permanent teeth have deep and narrow sockets on the surface when they are just erupted, which are difficult to clean, and thus are susceptible to caries, and the molars are the main components of the chewing function in the human mouth, and untreated caries often leads to serious problems, so you should go to the pediatric dentistry department in time after eruption, and the specialist will judge whether you need to do the sulcus closure. If needed, generally the first permanent molar is at the age of 6-8 years and the second permanent molar is at the age of 11-13 years. However, if the child has a high risk of caries, the doctor will also seal the sockets of the milk molars according to the situation.
8.Some people say that the milk teeth will be replaced eventually and the treatment is meaningless?
This statement is not true. Although the baby teeth will be replaced eventually, the function of baby teeth will be affected by dental caries, such as chewing, pronunciation and aesthetics, and in serious cases, it may even affect the development and eruption of the secondary permanent teeth, and eventually lead to the abnormality of the permanent teeth.
9.What are the treatment methods for milk tooth disease?
For tooth decay, the filling treatment can be completed once; for teeth with deep caries involving the nerve, root canal treatment may be needed, which is commonly known as “killing the nerve”, and the treatment can be completed in 2-3 times; for teeth with irregularities in the milk teeth, early treatment is not needed, but the commonly called “enamel” is often recommended. “Early treatment is often recommended, and 3-4 years old is the appropriate time for orthodontic treatment.
10.What oral problems should children pay attention to at different stages?
①After the eruption of milk front teeth, we should pay attention to prevent bottle caries caused by night feeding and sleeping with bottle; ②After the eruption of milk molars, we should pay attention to prevent the occurrence of occlusal surface caries, and the occurrence of adjacent surface caries; ③During the period when milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth (6-12 years old) is a critical period for the development of children’s oral and maxillofacial system, we should pay attention to the following problems: First, the upper front teeth are vulnerable to trauma, and they should be promptly consulted after being injured; Second, the Secondly, the protection of “six-year-old teeth” and regular checkups; in addition, during this period is prone to occlusal disorders, should pay attention to timely consultation and treatment.
11.What should children do after dental injury?
Young permanent teeth, usually maxillary incisors, are prone to pulpal necrosis after injury, thus affecting the continued development of the tooth roots. As for the occurrence of dislocated teeth falling out of the mouth, the teeth should be preserved in milk, saline or saliva, and promptly visited a specialist hospital, the shorter the interval, the better the prognosis of the injured teeth.