According to statistics, today only 20% of children do not know what caries and dental chair are. Parents do not take this disease too seriously due to its high prevalence. And indeed, why bother if all children walk equally with damaged teeth. In fact, early caries is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive solution. Today we will talk about the causes and preventive measures, as well as the available treatment options. This information will be extremely important for all parents, as it will help to avoid a number of troubles.
What is caries
This is a process of destruction of hard tooth tissues. There are many reasons for this; today we will analyze them in detail. These can be both external and internal causes, that is, the general condition of the body, immunity, in the first place, also affects.
However, the main reason early caries develops is plaque, or more precisely, bacteria that live in the oral cavity. How do they get there? Everything is very simple, mom becomes their carrier. They licked the nipple, gave the crumbs to eat from their own spoon, and here they went to spoil their teeth, before they even managed to grow up properly. But that is not all. If the mother did not treat her teeth before pregnancy, then early caries is guaranteed for the baby, because it will be initially infected.
How does the tooth decay process proceed?
We have already realized that there are bacteria in the oral cavity responsible for the development of this disease. But cause early caries products of their vital activity. The result is a classic power circuit. Bacteria eat sugar and secrete acid. As a result, the acid-base balance in the oral cavity is disturbed.
This is the answer to the main question about why early caries develops so quickly. Enamel of deciduous teeth is very weakly mineralized, this is especially noticeable in the first 2 years and 5 months of life. It is because of this that dentists recommend giving up sweets at least during this period of a child’s life, and not giving him too cold or hot food.
So, the resulting acid leaches mineral substances from enamel, which means that the destruction process is very fast. In just a few months, early caries transforms into complicated forms in which dentists remove their teeth. Imagine that the child at this moment may still be only a year old. At the age of 2 to 3 years, these processes slow down, but most often it is too late by this time, and most of the teeth are in a deplorable state.
Causes of early caries in children
Let us now discuss in detail why such a disease develops. Many parents think that if they don’t give the baby sweets, then they are completely protected from the development of caries. Actually, it's too early to relax. The list of reasons is much wider:
- Improper oral hygiene. Even if the teeth only erupt, they immediately need proper care. This is rubbing the gums with a damp cloth, and later cleaning with a wet brush without paste. When the child erupts 6-7 teeth, you can begin to use the first paste without fluoride.
- Infection with pathogenic microorganisms. We have already talked about this, but it is worth repeating. Eating with a child with one spoon, especially if you have carious teeth in your mouth, is impossible.
- Genetic predisposition. This is a violation of the development of enamel, which is laid during the prenatal formation, due to smoking the mother or taking certain medications.
- The lack of vitamins and minerals, in particular fluoride and calcium in the diet of the child.
- Prolonged breastfeeding, oddly enough. By the time of the formation of milk teeth, the baby should be transferred to five meals a day. But if the baby continues to suckle without limits, at any time of the day or night, without having to carry out oral hygiene after that, then plaque and carious cavities will form.
- Mixes and juices, milk, sweet compotes - all this contributes to the development of caries. This factor is especially serious if the child does not part with the bottle day and night. After a year at night, he should receive only water. The day after each feeding, it is necessary to carry out oral hygiene.
- Cookies and buns, sweets and marshmallows, which treat the child, are also an important factor, since there is always food for bacteria in the mouth. It is not necessary to completely deprive the child of sweets, but inform him that after the candy you need to chew gum, rinse your mouth or at least drink water.
It is important to know everyone
Once again, summing up, I want to note that early caries in children arises largely due to fractional and frequent feeding on demand, as well as unlimited access to snacks during the day and, most importantly, at night. Replace all sweets with fruits. The fructose contained in them does not pose any danger. In addition, the diet should have enough calcium, the main source of which is cottage cheese and cheese. Equally important is the vitamin D we get from fish. In addition, the body can produce it independently under the influence of sunlight. The third essential component is fluoride. You can buy special water filters enriched with this element.
Preventive actions
Early decay of deciduous teeth is much easier to prevent than to treat. And first of all, hygiene will help you. All the measures described above (rinsing the mouth, rubbing the first teeth and their subsequent brushing) are also aimed at reducing the risk of developing the disease. If you notice bright white stripes on your teeth in your child, you need to consult a dentist as soon as possible. Soon enough they will turn into dark spots.
Early childhood caries can be stopped at the first stages, if you use drugs that increase the mineral composition of tooth enamel. From birth to six years, doctors prescribe special gels, for example, “ROX Mineral”. Mom will rub it into the gums, and minerals will effectively strengthen tooth enamel. After six years, Remars Gel is appointed, which also gives very good results.
The consequences of advanced forms of the disease
Often parents believe that nothing bad happens. These are milk teeth, they will fall out and that's it. Photos of early caries in advanced stages represent a rather unpleasant picture, but you need to think not only about the aesthetic side of the issue. If the disease is not treated, then a general decrease in immunity occurs. And how else, when the breeding ground of bacteria grows in the tooth cavity, which tend to capture other organs. As long as the immune system is strong, it will hold back the number of bacteria, but as soon as it malfunctions, hostile microorganisms take over it.
The child is often sick
What does uncontrolled bacterial growth lead to? First of all, these are persistent problems of ENT organs. The glands are closest, followed by the bronchi and lungs. In this case, parents are faced with endless sore throats, cough and other manifestations of acute respiratory infections.
Gastrointestinal diseases are rarely associated with caries, but there is also a direct relationship. A child swallows a large number of streptococcal flora bacteria along with waste products. It is clear that this affects the digestion process is far from the best way.
Moreover, all this along the chain also brings orthodontic problems. Once the teeth hurt, and the respiratory organs are constantly in an inflamed state, then the malocclusion, the habit of breathing through the mouth, gradually develops. This is reflected even in the formation of specific facial features. See how much untreated tooth means.
What can be done
In fact, parents can, if not completely cure, then significantly suspend early caries. How to get rid of a rapidly progressing disease at home, we’ll talk with you now. The first thing to remember is that only in the early stages can home treatments be effective.
You can determine it yourself. If the damaged tooth does not hurt, even when too cold or hot water gets in, there are no black spots, and the caries itself looks like a whitish strip, then a number of measures should be taken to prevent the further development of the clinical picture. In principle, this is the prevention described above. If you catch on at this stage of the development of the disease, then the photo of early caries in children will be practically no different from a healthy smile, with the exception of bright white spots. So:
- Urgently choose a special paste and use it twice a day.
- Additionally, treat your teeth with gels and formulations to strengthen the enamel.
- Use rinse aid.
- Follow a diet. That is, replace sweets with vegetables and fruits and enrich the diet with dairy products.
Folk recipes
First of all, this is the use of medicinal herbs and decoctions of them:
- For these purposes, dentists recommend the use of sage. It destroys microorganisms and normalizes the acid-base environment in the oral cavity. To do this, 100 g of dry grass is poured with a similar amount of vodka. After two weeks, the product can be used in the form of applications.
- To rinse, they often take an infusion of finely cut roots. This will require a glass of raw material, cut into pieces. They are poured with a liter of vodka and insisted for 7 days. After that, the tincture is used for evening rinsing, diluting with water.
- Peppermint strengthens tooth enamel. To do this, cut the leaves and put in a water bath for several minutes. You can add a little wine vinegar to them for better preservation. Use for rinsing.
- A decoction of onion peel effectively kills bacteria.
- Simple soda and salt inhibit the development of caries. To do this, 40 g of a substance is added to a glass of water. Each time after eating, rinse your mouth with this solution.
Further development of the disease
So far, we have only talked about early caries. It will not be possible to get rid of deeper lesions at home. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor. Even the surface stage is characterized by the appearance of defects on the enamel, which creates a favorable environment for the development of microorganisms. The middle stage is associated with the destruction of not only enamel, but also dentin. There are already painful sensations in contact with cold and hot, with the use of sour and sweet. The deep stage of caries is a lesion of the internal cavities of the tooth. Now the disease is approaching the nerve endings. Accordingly, the pain is becoming more pronounced.
Instead of a conclusion
As you can see, caring for the oral cavity is, by and large, the task of parents. It is you who can create all the conditions so that trips to the dentist become rare and enjoyable. In our article, we provide a photo of early decay of deciduous teeth, so that you have a good idea of how it all starts. No need to wait until black spots or holes appear on the teeth. If you start acting now, the chances of stopping the disease are much higher. And of course, without consulting a professional doctor, at least once every 6 months, you can’t do without it.