Dental caries in children: Easy to catch, difficult to treat

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Trung Hau - Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
Taking care of their children's oral health from an early age is a very important task for parents to take care of their children's teeth later on. Tooth decay is a common problem in children and it is easy to negatively affect the eruption of new teeth in children.

1. Why are children prone to tooth decay?

Molars play an important role in chewing and grinding food. The molars are the teeth that are most prone to decay in children, because they are located in the back, they are more difficult to clean than other teeth, food remains, plaque, and plaque cling to the teeth, which is a favorable environment for bacteria to form and develop. and cause disease. The 6th molars are usually the first permanent teeth to erupt in the baby's teething process.
Many parents have a subjective opinion about the problem of tooth decay in children, because they think that these are just baby teeth and sooner or later it will be replaced by other teeth. But this is a completely wrong idea, because baby teeth in fact play an important role in shaping the permanent teeth to grow in the right position, not to be displaced.

2. Causes of molar tooth decay

Molars are the hardest teeth in a baby's baby teeth. To detect molar caries is also very difficult, because it is located deep inside, must have dental tools to be able to detect cavities in molars. There are many causes of molar tooth decay in children, but the main cause is still due to sweets and the child's oral hygiene regime.
Sweets are always children's favorite foods. Even for many adults, they cannot resist the temptation of sweets. Excessive consumption of sweets can cause many diseases. In young children, sweets are the main cause of tooth decay, including molar caries. Most children at the age of teething are often given sweets by their parents. They believe that growing children need to eat comfortably, tooth decay is not important because they are only baby teeth, which will later be replaced by permanent teeth.
This is a misconception that leads to widespread tooth decay in children. Sugar is also very important for children. But the sugar contained in sweet foods, if used too much, will not be good for children, it creates conditions for bacteria to attack the oral cavity. Parents should not allow their children to eat too many sweets, should add sugar through foods available in nature such as fruits, instead of sugar in processed foods. After eating sugary foods, children should practice rinsing their mouth with clean filtered water.
Oral care problems are also one of the causes of molar tooth decay. Children need to brush their teeth often, at least once after each meal. Parents and teachers need to guide children to brush their teeth gently and properly, preventing plaque that leads to tooth decay.

3. The harms when children's molars are decayed

Use molars to tear, chew and grind food until it is pureed before it goes down to the stomach for digestion. So if the molars are decayed, the child will have difficulty grinding food. Food is not chewed thoroughly before being taken down to the digestive system, making the digestive system work harder and more difficult. Children will become more difficult to eat foods. Many children will have anorexia, skip meals, and even cause them to have persistent pain even while sleeping.
Baby teeth guide the permanent teeth to come in. Baby molars too, if baby molars are decayed early, bacteria will destroy them from the outside to the inside. If the baby's primary molars are extracted before they are young enough to replace their teeth (under 6 years old), the child's gums will be dry, and the permanent molars will be difficult to grow in. If this happens, the newly erupting molars may press on the front teeth, affecting the structure of the whole teeth. Misaligned teeth not only affect the aesthetics but also affect the overall health of the child.
Tooth decay, if not treated in time, will cause complications causing pulpitis, periodontitis, the formation of pus pockets and abscesses, causing inflammation to spread to the alveolar bone, leading to serious effects.

4. Is it difficult to treat children with tooth decay?

Children with molar caries can be treated in a variety of ways, depending on the stage of the disease.
If the decay is just beginning, dentists can use a filling method, which prevents the growth of caries bacteria. If the tooth is severely damaged by bacteria, parents need to consider having this tooth extracted. However, the extraction of molars in children, although it can end the pain for children, but it can have a great impact on teething later in life. Early extraction of molars, causing permanent molars to erupt, may interfere with the erupting positions of other teeth, affecting the function of the teeth and cosmetic problems.

5. Proper dental care and hygiene

Food and sweets will be the main cause of faster mineral destruction in the hard tissues of the teeth, especially creating a favorable environment for bacteria to grow. If parents often give children sweets in the evening and do not clean their teeth before going to bed, the possibility of tooth decay is inevitable. Parents need to choose the right time when giving sweets to their children, and should not be strictly forbidden. It is necessary to practice proper brushing habits for children and gargle with salt water before going to bed and after waking up in the morning.
If the child's teeth have begun to appear yellow spots, this can be considered the first sign of the process of tooth decay forming. At this time, you can apply flour or use fluoride toothpaste to prevent and limit the progression. However, proper dental care for children with caries is still a top priority.
Here's how to brush parents must know to keep the best oral health for children:
Place the brush at a 45-degree angle towards the outer gum line. Brush 6-8 times between teeth and gum crevices. Brush around 4 tooth surfaces. Remember to brush in a direction perpendicular to the ground. This will help the bristles move between the children's teeth to remove excess food and bacteria. Brush your child's tongue with a soft-bristled brush or a washcloth with a soft, smooth surface to minimize bacteria in the oral cavity. Note: The toothbrush used to brush children's teeth must be a soft-bristled brush. When brushing, brush all surfaces of the child's teeth, especially the molars, gently, avoiding using too much force to cause sensitivity to the child's gums. Besides, parents should also take their children to the dentist every 3-6 months to help them have strong teeth.
BSCK I Nguyen Trung Hau has more than 10 years of experience working in the field of Odonto-Stomatology, Dr. Hau especially has a lot of experience in maxillofacial surgery, cosmetic dentistry, Implant implants. Currently, he is a Doctor of Odonto-Stomatology at the Inter-specialty Clinic of General Internal Medicine, Vinmec International General Hospital, Da Nang.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.