We wait for the day when our kids first teeth erupts.The feeling of happiness and joy can be well appreciated by the parents who had went through this phase. Every parents love to see their kid smiling with shiny pearl white teeth . Milk teeth  starts appearing from age of 6 months till 3 years of age. Children’s milk teeth also called primary teeth are the predecessors of their future permanent teeth. These teeth require equal care as permanent teeth in adults, infact  milk teeth require more care than permanent teeth in adults . As kids have no barriers on their eating habits ,being infants they drink milk multiple times at night, as toddlers they may ask for milk even in mid nights and as pre-school kids they eat chocolates ,cakes and pastries , i.e sweet and junk food a lot. They don’t have good dexterity to clean their teeth on their own, they need assistance. Also some kids have less immunity and slow salivary flow. Certain habits like mouth breathing also enhances chances of caries in children. Henceforth kids require extra oral health care.  

WHY IS MILK TEETH IMPORTANT???

1)     SPEECH:-  Learning to speak is cognitive,social and emotional development, the position of teeth effects tongue posture  thus in case of missing teeth due to decay can develop tongue thrusting and result in speech impediment. 

2)     EATING AND NUTRITION:- badly decayed teeth hurts while eating. These children not able to enjoy certain healthy foods, resulting in failure to thrive. 

3)     SELF CONFIDENCE AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL:- even very young children can be quick to point out ugly and crooked smile.

4)     STRAIGHTER SMILE :- healthy primary teeth are important in holding space available for future eruption of permanent teeth.

5)     EXCELLENT ORAL HEALTH:- decayed tooth can lead to abscesses and infections of teeth  gums and underlying bone , which may spread into bloodstream and affects child’s organs.

HOW CAN WE TAKE CARE OF MILK TEETH??? 

Visit pediatric dentist as soon as your kids first tooth erupts for proper guidance and counseling to keep kids teeth healthy. 

Two types of care your kid require :-

1)     Home Care

2)     Clinical Care

WHY DO WE NEED DENTIST FOR KIDS??? 

There are various preventive therapies such as fluoride application , pit and fissure sealants, remineralizing agents that kids dentist can introduce to your kid and prevent caries occurrence.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE LEAVE MILK TEETH UNCHECKED OR UNTREATED??? 

Healthy teeth appears smooth shiny and pearly white. If we don’t take care of teeth, plaque keep on accumulating and make teeth appears less shiny, yellowish and rough , sometimes with extra white spots on them. This is called Initial Caries. It’s an indication to meet your dentist for remineralizing and preventive treatment. If ignored??? Teeth may become yellow/ black. Enamel goes off,  become sensitive ,child may complain of pain on eating hot and cold food items,it is an indication for filling.If still left unnoticed, caries may damage the entire tooth structure and reach pulp (blood supply of teeth). Here infection runs faster.This may cause pain. Its time for pulpectomy ( root canal treatment for kids)

WHY TO GO FOR ROOT CANAL IN MILK TEETH ??? 

Natural tooth is a good space maintainer for permanent teeth hence always better to save natural teeth than extraction. Root canal treated milk teeth also require crown/cap to support the tooth to withstand all the chewing forces in mouth and prevent teeth to fracture due to chewing forces.In case tooth fracture, extraction is the solution but premature extraction of teeth require space maintainer. 

                              "RIGHT DECISION  AT RIGHT TIME CAN SAVE YOUR KIDS BEAUTIFUL SMILE."{