Oral health of children

The care for children’s teeth should start from the moment the first tooth comes out. Meanwhile, the first visit to the dentist should be done at the age of 2 to 3 years.

Oral care from an early age is closely linked to oral health at later stages of life.

Children up to the age of 6 have only baby teeth in their mouth. From the age of 6 begins the emergence of the first tooth, ie tooth no. 6.

After this period, baby teeth begin to give way to permanent teeth. Due to the young age, delicate composition and thin structure of the teeth at this age the loss and decay of the teeth due to caries is very noticeable.

What is advised?

1. Treatment of problems involving: fillings, canal treatment or extractions (tooth extractions).

2. Preventive dentistry, which aims to protect teeth from decay.

What is the importance of baby teeth?

 1) Aesthetic aspect

Loss of deciduous teeth at an early age (3-4 years) can cause aesthetic and even psychological problems in children.

2) Phonetic aspect

The first teeth play a very important role in the speech function in children. The loss of the first teeth causes a problem in the pronunciation of the letters, f, v, z, t, d.

3) Importance in bite

Massive decay of deciduous teeth and their early loss makes these areas unused during the biting process causing decreased bite muscle function. This can lead to further problems in the digestive process.

4) Importance in guiding permanent teeth

Deciduous teeth have the leading function of permanent teeth. Early loss of deciduous teeth causes the permanent teeth to not be in their proper position causing numerous orthodontic problems.

Therefore, the best possible oral hygiene and special care for children is required

• Brushing your teeth

• Monitoring the development of the dental arch

• Education on the use of dental floss

• Food diet

• Local use of fluoride

• Educating parents on proper oral hygiene methods

• Use of sealants (sealants are light-colored resin-based materials that are placed on the chewing surface of teeth, mainly the front teeth and teeth) to prevent them from decaying. Sealants create an enamel protection in these areas, preventing the penetration of bacteria.