Healthy teeth are just as important to children as they are to adults. They can even be considered more important, as teeth are influential in everything from developing speech to creating a positive self-image that lasts a lifetime.
This makes ensuring the healthy development of your child’s teeth a necessity, even if doing so can be difficult.
The good news is that there are some signs you can look for that you can use to see if your child’s teeth are at risk. Let’s explore four of those signs and how you use them to keep a potential problem from developing into something worse.
Sign #1: Untreated Teeth
Studies have found that about 40 percent of children have some form of an untreated cavity. These cavities progress into further problems that require fillings, root canals, costly crowns and tooth extractions.
If your child hasn’t been to a dentist within the last six months or hasn’t received preventative treatments such as seals or fluoride treatments, then that may be a sign that your child’s teeth are at risk.
Schedule an appointment for your child to visit his or her dentist as soon as possible to avoid any existing tooth decay from progressing further.
Sign #2: Trouble Sleeping
Bruxism, better known as teeth grinding, is something that can occur at all ages. This hard-to-pinpoint problem is a particular nuisance to developing children, as it can both harm a child’s teeth and be a sign of far greater problems.
One of the underlying problems of bruxism are misaligned teeth. This causes bruxism because the teeth rest unevenly, and the pressure works to irritate the child’s jaw.
This can result in trouble sleeping, a sore jaw in the morning or even nightmares. If your child has any of these symptoms, don’t write them off. Schedule an appointment with a family dentist in Sandy or your particular locale as soon as possible.
Sign #3: Bleeding Gums
Bleeding gums are one of the most important signs for you to notice. They represent gums that are irritated by bacteria or another problem, which can lead to gum erosion and other debilitating, life-long oral conditions.
The sooner these conditions are treated, then the better prognosis your child will have. You may even be able to completely reverse gum disease to prevent side effects like tooth loss and bone loss from affecting your child.
Sign #4: Pain
The most obvious sign on this list is pain. Your child may experience minor sources of pain from teeth erupting from his or her gums, but that should be the extent of the pain your child feels. Anything else represents a large problem that could develop into something far worse.
When your child experiences any pain, you should generally take a “wait and see” approach. If the pain persists for more than a few hours, then it’s time to schedule an emergency dentist appointment.
Some common causes of pain include: impacted teeth, tooth decay, gum erosion and food trapped in places where it should not be.
The soon you have a professional diagnose these problems, the sooner your child will be able to live without experiencing pain or worry related to his or her mouth.
The Importance of Your Child’s Mouth
Your child’s mouth plays a significant role in his or her development. It influences social development, gives your child a way to express happiness, and allows your child to experience more from life.
When your child’s mouth is afflicted with pain, discomfort or any of the other negative conditions associated with an unhealthy mouth, then bad things happen. That’s why you should immediately seek help from a dentist as soon as you see any of the conditions listed above.
Even if you fail to see this symptoms, it’s generally a good idea to still schedule a dental checkup appointment for your child every 6 to 12 months.