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- What are deciduous teeth?
Deciduous teeth are baby teeth which will be replaced by adult teeth. In general, they are small, round and flatter than adult teeth and there are 20. Compared to adult teeth, outer enamel surface is thinner and tooth decay spreads more readily than adult. |
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Baby teeth in good health helps and facilitate good chewing and nourishing of nutrients leading to well growth and good pronunciation. It is the function of baby teeth that allows good bone growth of jaw bone and maintains the space for adult dentition to erupt. |
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- Timing of baby teeth eruption
Usually, baby’s front teeth come out around 6month and other teeth continue to erupt until age 2. By age 3 all teeth are aligned and it’s called deciduous dentition. At about age 6, the first adult molar comes out. Sequentially, baby teeth exfoliate. By about age 12, 2nd molar comes out and roots completely form by age 15.
The first molar is called “ 6year molar” This tooth is the first adult dentition to come out and plays a role in forming a vertical stop for upper and lower teeth. Children at the age 6, love candies and sugar at that age, therefore it is crucial to take care of the teeth at that age.
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- About extracting baby teeth
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Unusual eruption
Lower front teeth, sometimes erupt unsequentially. To prevent malposition or rotation of teeth, therefore, requiring orthodontic treatment (braces), dentist needs to see the condition and evaluate the situation using radiographs (x-ray) to prevent mal position of teeth.
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Cautions
(1) During extraction, a child can cry, resist and can accidentally swallow a tooth. If a tooth gets into lung, it can cause serious medical emergency. Do not scare child by telling “we will pull a tooth” rather explain in a manner a child can understand that a new tooth will come out after baby tooth is gone.
(2) During extraction, there may be small amount of bleeding. If a child has heart problem or hemophiliac, the doctor must be informed or pre-medicated. Local anesthetic may be applied if some discomfort is expected.
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- Prevention and treatment of cavity
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Prevention
Proper brushing : It is never too early to teach a child good brushing skills.
It’s recommended to brush 3 minutes, 3 times, and within 3 minutes after a meal.
Regular Check-up
It’s absolutely necessary to have a visit to a dentist to prevent decays and early treatment.
It is a also a way to prevent monetary loss for bigger treatment or pain.
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Sealant
Caries start (about 50%) from molar tooth’s chewing side. These areas can easily accumulate food debris but hard to be removed . These fissure or pits can be blocked out by composite resin material to prevent bacterial intrusion. |
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fluoride treatment
To decrease the bacterial amount in the mouth and harden tooth structure, topical fluoride can be applied to the tooth surfaces. |
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