It's always exciting to see your baby’s first teeth appear in his/her mouth. With this milestone child learns new ways of eating, speaking and smiling. This is also the time you should know how to take care of your child’s teeth.

Do you know that tooth decay can begin as soon as your first tooth appears in the mouth.This is why it's very important to take care of your child’s oral hygiene.

Oral Care for Kids

  • Usually children detest visits to the dentist. Pediatric dentists are specialised dentists who are trained 3 extra years to deal with a kid's dental concerns. They understand their psychology and deal with them accordingly. They are specially trained to deal with growing teeth and gums of infants to teenagers unlike general dentists. They are specialized in detecting any concerns with teeth at an early stage and correcting them with preventive measures to avoid any future troubles in the mouth.

  • Cavity is one of the dental problems kids encounter in their mouth. There is a lot of activity happening in a child's mouth as they are in a continuous dynamic stage till they attain the age of 14-15years. Having a pediatric dentist for your child and a regular check up is a good idea as this will keep you aware about the changes happening in your child’s mouth. This will detect not only dental cavities at an early stage and correct them but also avoid the possible formation of new cavities. Do you know getting your child's milk teeth removed at the right time or getting a space maintainer for a premature tooth removal can avoid the need of braces in your child’s mouth.

  • Baby teeth are not permanent and fall off after a certain age, so why get them treated? This is the most common doubt parents have. Milk teeth or baby teeth are extremely important as permanent teeth. Not only do they help a child to eat and speak properly but also add to his/her personality. They play a very important role in guiding the permanent tooth to erupt in place . Cavities in baby teeth increase the bacterial load in the mouth, that not only hampers the oral health but also hampers the overall health of a child. If not treated at the right time, they will only increase with time and lead to pain and discomfort to the child followed by further complications.

  • Babies are born with no teeth with the exception of natal teeth in which a child is born with teeth (usually seen in the lower jaw). Taking care of a mouth with no teeth is extremely important. For this the child's mouth must be cleaned either with cotton or soft cotton cloth wet with clean water, wrapped around your index finger and running it over the gum pad. This practice must be done twice a day just as tooth brushing. This will ensure that the child’s mouth is clean and free of bacteria. Another practice equally important, is making sure that while feeding the child at night (either breastfeeding or bottle feeding) no amount of milk is left in the mouth throughout the night. To insure this make the child sip clear clean water that would remove the leftover milk in the mouth. Statistically, inability to follow this practice is one of the most common causes for early childhood decays.

  • X-rays used in dental clinics have minimal radiation and are safer than ever before. The digital X-rays used in the dental clinic have radiation equivalent to the amount exposed in the environment on a regular basis. The X-rays are utilized by the dentist to diagnose the condition that cannot be done through visual examination and not as a regular practice, hence it plays an important tool for correct diagnosis and treatment planning.

  • As soon as the 1st tooth erupts in the mouth brushing should start because even a single tooth acts like any other tooth in the mouth and provides a surface for bacterial attachment. They are exposed to bacteria on eruption and thus susceptible to decay.

  • Pediatric dentists deal with dental problems exclusively in children. The cost of treatment depends on every individual dentist, but in the long run these dental treatments will prevent further damage to the child's mouth leading to a much less expense in future.

  • There are various toothpastes available in the market which claim to be the best to prevent cavities and keep your mouth healthy. Before selecting a tooth paste for your child, check for its fluoride content. According to American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), kids and adults’ toothpaste should contain at least 1000 ppm of fluoride, which prevents cavity formation. More than a brand of toothpaste, the best dentists in Mumbai suggest that we should be aware about the amount to be used on our child’s brush. It's advised to use a rice grain size toothpaste for children under 3 years of age and pea size paste for children between 3-6 years of age. To know more, check out the video below.

  • If your child is 71 months (5 years) old or younger with a cavity in his or her tooth, they come under the category of early childhood cavities. They are also known as nursing bottle cavities. These appear suddenly and spread rapidly. It may start with one tooth and eventually spread to all others. The best dentists in Mumbai suggest that early intervention with proper dietary habits can control such a situation.

  • Dental treatments in children are similar to that of adults, it only differs in treatment planning. Similar protocols and procedures are followed to treat children.There is a difference in the way kids are approached and made comfortable and taken care of their dental needs. With the help of local anesthetic agents and various procedures to treat kids dental concerns are made painless and comfortable.

  • How normal and mundane it may sound to get a dental treatment but from a child’s point of view, it's like going into a war zone. Going to a dentist is stressful for kids. Sights of injections and other instruments may make them anxious.

    To make the child comfortable during the dental visit , there are various approaches such as small talk with the dentist, use of audio visual aids during the treatment, treating the child with his/her favourite toy, making the child familiar with the dental environment, gradual behaviour modification etc are followed. It is advisable to take the child to a pediatric specialist as they are specially trained to treat kids of different age groups.

    One of the most recommended approaches by the best dentists in Mumbai to make a child's visit to a dental clinic less anxious is use of Laughing Gas. It is easily accepted by kids and has no side effects.

Personalized Prevention programme

  • Counselling
  • Habit management
  • Pit and fissure sealants
  • Fluoride treatment
  • Preventive orthodontics

Happy Patients

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