A scourge that continues to plague the oral health of children are dental caries. Latest official statistics show that the prevalence of dental caries continues to be a cause for concern in the UK. As many as one in four or 23% of 5 year olds suffer from dental decay.
Those who consider tooth decay in milk teeth as nothing to worry about, as milk teeth only serve a temporary role and are designed to fall out, are mistaken in this erroneous belief. Yes, milk teeth are temporary but they still play a vitally important role and so need to be looked after until it is their natural time to make way for adult teeth.
Baby teeth offer young children the opportunity to consume a variety of solid foods for nutrients that promote the healthy development of their bodies. Another role is to provide a guiding light for adult teeth when it is their time to break through.
As highly undesirable as tooth decay is for children and adults alike, there are a few points to bear in mind. Seeing that dental decay is a condition that progresses slowly, there is time to turn around this state of affairs provided that a dentist Navan keeps a close watch over the condition and takes appropriate measures to stop progression in its tracks. Regular dental check-ups are the gold standard for identifying tooth decay and other oral health issues that have an adverse impact on health and wellbeing.
Negative effects of dental caries
Of topmost concern to patients who have to endure tooth decay is the resulting pain and discomfort. This pain has a number of disadvantages.
First and foremost is the inability or unwillingness of affected children to bite and chew. This places children’s nutritional needs at risk.
The presence of pain may also interrupt the sleep quality of children
Pain may also keep children away from school thus interpreting their learning and education.
Tooth decay that is left to progress to advanced stages (this will happen if no professional dental care is sought) will eventually need to be extracted – a nightmarish experience for a young child to undergo. If the extraction takes place before the baby tooth’s natural expiration time and when the adult tooth is not yet ready to make its appearance, the space left open invites adjacent teeth to move in. This leaves no space for the adult tooth in which to grow, forcing it to erupt in the wrong place causing a whole host of orthodontic issues.
The Oral Health Foundation provides guidance to parents wishing to avoid their children from having tooth decay. Among important points to remember is to pay close attention to diet, opting for healthier and teeth-friendly foods and beverages, as well as avoiding the sugar-laden and high acidic sweet and convenience foods. Another is to get children’s teeth examined by a professional dental practitioner.
If you are looking for a child-friendly dental clinic where medical card patients (Irish NHS) are accepted, it will be well worth the research to find the right one.
