Chocolates, snacks, and sweet treats – are you hiding them all from your little mischief-makers? We know how important it is to develop a healthy oral care routine because it helps build healthy teeth in children. Developing a positive dental care routine can be the hardest milestone to achieve as a parent, especially when you are new to the stage.
Healthy teeth in children are a must-have. Their mouth is the first entrance to any foreign invaders for your body. Children give in to their guilty pleasures (like sweets, cakes, pastries, and chocolates) without knowing their consequences. This is just where you should teach them a mix of restraint and positive oral care habits to avert painful dental issues.
What is Tooth Decay?
Found on a tooth’s outermost lining, the enamel is the hardest part of our body. It is white and it helps our teeth (and us) have the confidence to stand out with a unique smile. However, the enamel is weakened if your kid’s teeth are affected by cavities, abscesses, or plaque. It may be an obvious sign of tooth decay.
Healthy teeth may look like an easy job, only harder to maintain. Tooth decay is the destruction happening to your teeth by the activity of bacteria living in the dental plaque. The bacteria in the plaque convert the sugars present in food items to acids. This build-up of plaque, if left untreated for a long time, can do permanent damage to your teeth.
What are the Causes of Tooth Decay?
Maintaining oral hygiene is a necessity that requires attention and complete care. Tooth decay results from a lack of maintaining this hygiene for quite some time. We will list the reasons for tooth decay below:
a.Dry mouth: As important as a good night’s sleep is for your baby, so is having a good intake of water and fluids. In addition, a dry mouth is listed as one of the most significant reasons for tooth decay.
You may give your kid a glass of water if their mouth is dry or they wake up with a choked throat. This helps keep their mouth and body from dehydration, thus preventing tooth decay.
b. Genetic: If your family (be it maternal or paternal side) has a history of poor dental health, chances are your child will have it too. Sometimes, genetics can work in mysterious ways and give your child poor enamel health.
Keeping the teeth clean by flossing and brushing them twice a day helps keep your little one’s teeth from deteriorating. These little habits can be some healthy tips for your kiddo’s teeth.
c. Eating disorder: Sometimes, tooth decay can be caused by eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. Anorexia is a significant eating disorder that makes people obsess about their weight and what they eat. As a result, they eat too little and fear becoming too fat if they don’t starve for most of the day.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which one eats too much to vomit to lose weight. These disorders can do a great deal of damage to your kid’s teeth. Therefore, we suggest if any of these disorders is what your child is facing, you should visit a doctor right away.
d. Poor hygiene: Has your child been into chocolates and candies and not brushing their teeth lately? Is brushing a task your kid avoids when you’re out of sight? Inadequate oral hygiene is one of the primary causes of decay in your kid’s teeth.
We understand how fussy children can be. But we suggest you use good toothpaste with fluoride. It helps prevent decay, reduce the occurrence of cavities, and keep those pearls healthy!
Stages of tooth decay
When the damage is near, it sticks to your enamel in the form of a colorless, sticky film that is a mixture of saliva, eaten foods, and bacteria. This is the beginning of the dental decay process. Now, we will discuss all its stages in detail below:
1. Demineralization: This stage involves the degradation of the enamel. Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and is largely composed of minerals. Once a tooth comes in contact with the acids secreted by plaque and bacteria, its enamel starts losing its strength. This makes it weaker and may even lead to tooth decay.
The earliest signs of demineralization of enamel can be verified with a white spot. That spot signifies the loss of minerals from the enamel and becomes an initial sign of tooth decay. Left untreated, the enamel could become too weak to support the dental structure.
2. Enamel decay: If no action is taken, the enamel starts decaying and its signs begin to show up. The enamel is seen to break down further, and you may see the white spot that we discussed earlier turning a little brownish. Its weakening causes holes in the teeth, a dental problem called a cavity. This requires immediate medical supervision.
3. Dentin decay: The tissue underneath the enamel is known as Dentin. It is softer and more susceptible to damage from the acids we discussed earlier. Once you reach this stage, tooth decay begins to occur faster.
Dentin consists of tubes that lead to the nerves of your tooth. So, the early signs of dentin decay are detected when you feel sensitivity in your tooth. You may feel it, especially when you eat or drink something too cold.
4. Pulp damage: The pulp is said to be the innermost layer of your tooth. It has the nerves and blood vessels that help maintain its health. In addition, the nerves present in the pulp provide sensitivity to the tooth. When this damage occurs, it also shows irritation and swelling. Since the tooth cannot expand because of the swelling, it swells up the local muscles and causes too much pain.
5. Abscess: After the decay has advanced to the pulp of your tooth, there is no turning back. It is often caused due to bacterial infections and may cause much pain if left untreated. The increased inflammation in the deep bottom of your tooth is known as an abscess.
These abscesses can cause severe swelling and pain and radiate into the jaw. The remaining symptoms can include swelling on the face, fever, and swollen lymph nodes on your neck.
These five stages of dental decay show how things can get extreme if not paid attention to during the initial signs. Now, we will share the facts related to healthy teeth and what you should look for in them:
Important Signs of Healthy Teeth
Healthy gums and teeth aren’t that difficult to detect. However, for your understanding, we will list down the significant signs of naturally healthy teeth below:
1. No bad or foul breaths: Bad breaths make it so difficult to interact with people. When this happens to our children, we do everything right to eliminate this factor. People who have healthy teeth do not have bad breath. That’s because when you have a germ-free mouth, you do not smell bad!
To check if your kid has bad breath, you can scratch your child’s tongue during the day and smell it. If the smell is neutral, you do not have anything to worry about.
2. A healthy tongue: If your little one’s tongue is pink and moist, it signifies a healthy mouth. However, if there is a white layer or discoloration on the tongue, there are chances of underlying problems.
Make your young children stick their tongues out once in a while to check the early signs of teeth problems. If there are any, you should get your dental appointment to ensure things are sorted immediately.
3. Happy & healthy gums: Gums can be a deciding factor too. You can relax if your kid has pink, firm gums that attach to your teeth without pockets. On the other hand, if they feel loose or maybe jelly-like when touched, chances are you need a dental appointment.
4. Proper alignment of teeth: Well-aligned teeth are great to look at. They are easier to clean and do not harbor any plaque or bacteria. If you have alignment problems with your teeth, you can always get braces, as they help easily fix such problems.
5. No discoloration: Another evident sign of having healthy teeth is that they are even and of the same color. If they are discolored or unevenly colored, for instance, some have a yellowish deposit or pale yellow texture, and chances are your teeth are unhealthy. Again, it would help to visit your dentist to get it sorted.
6. Strong teeth: If your teeth hurt a lot when you eat something hot or cold or feel hurt when you chew something, it means your teeth are damaged. Healthy teeth do not show any of those signs. You can feel relieved if your teeth do not feel shaky after eating something hard like sugarcane.
Healthy teeth have adequate strength not to feel damaged after eating a food item – be it hold, cold, or hard. The enamel protects your teeth from feeling too sensitive and getting weak. It would be best if you protected its health from getting depleted at all times.
7. No cavities: One of the most evident signs of healthy teeth is the presence of cavities. These deadly things can destroy your teeth internally. Brushing and flossing regularly helps to keep your teeth cavity-free.
Mamaearth products to try
To maintain healthy teeth, some tips are worth exploring. First, you should gargle with warm water after every meal. This helps remove the leftover food stuck in your teeth, to come out and prevent bad odor. You can also do this by using good mouthwash.
Apart from these tips for healthy teeth, there are some of our products to try. At Mamaearth, we are home to a wide range of safe, gentle, and toxin-free ingredients. We bring you wide and diverse baby care products to explore. It includes all of the following:
– Baby Oil
– Baby Cream and Lotions
We will introduce you to one of the most amazing products recommended by parents all over the country for maintaining healthy teeth – Mamaearth Fruit Punch Toothpaste. As amazing as the name sounds, it has fantastic benefits to offer your kid. It helps effectively clean your baby’s teeth, eliminates odor, and helps maintain oral hygiene.
Some of its key ingredients include:
–Sorbitol: Sorbitol is a sweet flavoring agent that enhances the taste of toothpaste to make brushing a fun activity for kids. It stops the bacteria from feeding on the enamel and thus prevents tooth decay. It is also safe when ingested.
– Silica: Silica helps in removing plaque and stains from the teeth effectively. It also removes plaque build-up without being harsh on your teeth, enamel, or gums.
– Glycerin: A naturally derived ingredient that helps stabilize moisture levels and prevents mouth drying while brushing. Glycerin is a humectant that also works as a preservative.
The best part? It is free from harmful toxins like SLS and is safe for children. It is safe, even if it is swallowed.
Summary
Teeth should always be healthy, no matter what tips you follow. Tooth decay becomes an after-effect when carelessness takes place for a long time. Your child may be learning to chew and taste food. It is normal for him to explore and have a guilty indulgence. As a parent, it becomes your responsibility to check their baby oral care routine.
Like healthy teeth, you can also figure out the different signs of an unhealthy mouth. Two common signs are a foul smell in the mouth and yellow or discolored teeth. Thus, you should ensure you get it checked by a dentist to resolve these issues at the earliest.
Parenting brings home more baggage than we think. If you are new to it, we understand that you are trying your best. It is all the more reason we are here to make this journey easier for you to endure. Just keep it clean and simple, and you are halfway through! Happy parenting!
FAQs
How can I make my teeth healthier?
To maintain healthy teeth, you should monitor oral hygiene carefully. We recommend washing your mouth with lukewarm salt water or you may also use mouthwash after every meal. In addition, we also suggest you brush your teeth with Mamaearth Fruit Punch Toothpaste twice a day for the best results.
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