One of the main causes of rotten teeth in children is bad oral habits. It is common to see that most people do not maintain good oral hygiene and the habits are also passed out to kids.
Among the number of oral health complaints, the most common is that of rotten teeth. In the last few years, the cases of children complaining of tooth decay are also on the rise. When one talks about rotten teeth or tooth decay, one is actually hinting towards cavities or holes in the teeth. If the condition is not treated on time, it will affect all the teeth, which may have to be extracted. Diet rich in aerated drinks, chocolates and sweets lead to rotten teeth in children. Apart from eating the wrong type of food, there are other reasons of tooth decay.
Rotten Teeth Causes
There are thousands of children the world over, who need to have their teeth extracted before they reach the age of 5 years. In some cases all 20 milk teeth have to be removed as tooth decay infection has spread to all the teeth. The following factors lead to tooth decay:
Plaque: Often children do not like to brush their teeth or the parents may be lazy in brushing their teeth. Sometimes kids pretend to brush and swallow the toothpaste and the teeth and gums remain dirty. This leads to accumulation of plaque on the teeth. When the plaque is infected with bacteria it causes the teeth to decay.
Sugary Food: A number of kids are fed sugary aerated drinks, as well as sweets like chocolates, cakes, etc. at regular intervals. Therefore, after your child has eaten sweet food items, it is important that the teeth be cleaned properly. This will ensure that there is no accumulation of sugar in the teeth. If there is plaque accumulation on teeth, then sugar will be attracted to the plaque and further aggravate the condition.
Lack of Oral Hygiene: It is not uncommon to see that a lot of people lack oral hygiene. It is not only common among children, but also among adults. When the teeth and gums are not cleaned at regular intervals properly, it causes food particles to accumulate in the gaps and cause tooth decay. Hence, it is important that teeth are brushed at least twice a day to eliminate one of the tooth decay causes.
Drinking from a Bottle: A lot of children drink milk and juices from bottle. Often they sleep off with the bottle in their mouth, which causes the sugar to be accumulated on the teeth itself. Therefore, parents have to ensure that the child does not sleep immediately after drinking milk or juice. It is important that their mouth be cleaned to prevent the teeth from decaying.
Carbohydrate Rich Food: Food rich in carbohydrates are also known to cause tooth decay in children. Some of the carbohydrate rich food consumed by children are chips, peanut butter, crackers, etc.
Treatment for Tooth Decay in Children
After reading the causes of tooth decay in children, we will now turn to treatment. The first most important change that will have to made is to take care of oral hygiene. Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day. Parents have to be very strict with their children in this matter and ensure that children brush their teeth regularly at least twice a day. Brushing teeth with salt or baking soda at least once a week helps in preventing tooth decay.
Including foods like raw vegetables and fruits in the diet is important. These foods have a cleansing action on the teeth and help in removing any food particle accumulation in between the teeth. Different finger foods can be given to the children cut in attractive pattern, so that they take liking to it.
If parents notice, that the children have decaying teeth, they should not neglect the condition have them examined by a oral health care professional. This will ensure that the tooth decay does not spread to other teeth as well. The best, however, is to try to eliminate the causes of rotten teeth in children totally. It is also recommended that you talk to your dentist to find out the best toothpaste for your child as well.
