MILK TEETH…IMPORTANT???

What’s the big deal about the milk teeth?    
   

Milk teeth are not only important for child’s present and future dental health, but also linked to overall health. HOW???

So, preserve them well until they fall naturally!

  

The most common dental problem in children is CAVITIES! (also called dental caries or tooth decay in the dental terminology). OVER 50% CHILDREN IN INDIA HAVE TOOTH DECAY (National Health Survey 2004). Now that’s a big number…way more than our perception!

How do cavities occur in teeth?

THE PROCESS OF TOOTH  DECAY: IT’S A BACTERIAL INFECTION

In more scientific terms…

Dental plaque is a dense invisible layer of bacteria that is attached to teeth and initiates cavity formation. Dense layer of dental plaque accumulates as the surfaces of teeth become rough and irregular with the initiation of cavity formation which further causes deepening of cavity. This also makes cleaning of teeth difficult by brushing.  Hence it is a vicious cycle…plaque causes cavities and cavities attract more plaque which further causes more cavities and deepens the existing ones!      

But are cavities in milk teeth that harmful and need so much attention? They are anyway going to fall!!

The answer is YES! Cavities of milk teeth have a number of harmful effects that show up in many but not in all children. 

In addition to the above, other complaints like pain in nearby areas like ears or throat, weight loss due to less intake of food, repeated cold and fever and overall diminished oral health related quality of life may happen due cavities of milk teeth in children.  

So, if cavities of milk teeth are so bad, can we just prevent them from occurring? How to take care of children’s teeth at home??...next blog

 



For any suggestions/queries you can contact me on drshrutideshmukh@gmail.com

Know more about Children's Dentistry!

Dr. Shruti Deshmukh Kulkarni- MDS- Pediatric Dentistry… Not sure what Pediatric Dentistry means? Even my relatives and friends did not know what exactly it is.

Pediatric Dentistry - A specialized branch of dentistry for children dental problems is quite a new and a bit unknown concept- a thing I realized while doing my MDS and reinforced when I started my consulting practice in different dental clinics in Mumbai.

Visiting a dentist is the most awful thing for even us adults, and thinking of giving our small, cute little child in the hands of a dentist is the least acceptable to parents.

When I introduce myself as a children’s dentist, the reactions that I get from most of the people are like... “Ohh that’s so scary! I don’t like that drilling machine and that root canal thing for myself, and you do all that on those small children?”

With these experiences, my consultations, by default start with explaining the parents why children’s oral hygiene is important even if they are milk teeth that are eventually going to fall off; why the time/money they will spend on the child’s dental treatment is all worth for; and how can this be achieved in a comfortable, non-threatening way with the help of Pediatric Dentistry.

I feel that there is a need to create awareness about the importance of children’s oral health as well as what a Pedodontist is and how they are different from other specialists in making the dental treatment not only acceptable but also enjoyable to our little ones.

With this in mind, I have decided to start a blog where people can get a basic knowledge about different aspects of Childs Oral Health, the common dental problems, preventive actions and various dental treatments available.

It is my endeavor through the topics I cover in this blog to empower each parent and parent to be with the knowledge about their child’s oral health and help them keep their child smiling with his/her healthy teeth.