3 Dental Problems to Look Out For in Your Kid

Let’s be honest. When the dentist tells you your kid has a cavity, it’s tempting to think that it’s just a baby tooth! It’ll fall out anyway. Does it really matter? Or if they skip brushing their teeth one night—does it really matter? Aren’t those teeth just going to get replaced anyway?

That’s true, and the exact wrong idea. While the baby teeth your child flashes at you now are going to be replaced with permanent teeth, that doesn’t mean that they don’t matter. Baby teeth hold the space for adult teeth to come in, ensuring normal development—not to mention the fact that they themselves are a crucial part of your child’s speech development, appearance, and growth while they’re present. If all those reasons weren’t enough to take care of your child’s baby teeth, think about the fact that cavities could hurt your little one! The same goes for damage or sensitivity. Today, we’ll dive into these three common problems that little ones face with their teeth and how you might protect your child from them.

1. Tooth Decay

If there were a competition for the biggest dental problem for kids, dental caries (more commonly known as cavities) would take the prize without question. In fact, the competition doesn’t just have to be limited to dental health for cavities to win. The CDC reports that dental caries are the “most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States.” They found that “More than half of children aged 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby (primary) teeth.”

The statistics remain less than encouraging, even as you go up in age. If your child has reached elementary age, there’s a strong chance that they’ve had a cavity before, if they don’t have one right now. Of course, everyone who has teeth is susceptible to tooth decay. Adults get cavities, too. But as we all know, the sweet tooth in children is usually a little less self-controlled. If you combine their increased sugar intake with their reduced competency and consistency in brushing and flossing, you get a recipe for tooth decay.

How can you tell if your child has a cavity? It can be a tricky task. Some signs that could indicate your child has dental decay include:

Spots on the teeth.

These could be light or dark spots.

Expressions of discomfort or distress.

If your child is crying, complaining of pain, or oddly lethargic, it could be that they have a cavity.

Unusual sensitivity when eating and drinking.

They may complain of a shooting pain when eating or drinking, or when the teeth meet particularly hot or cold temperatures.

Refusal of food.

If your child is experiencing discomfort when they eat, they may simply avoid food altogether. This is usually a key signal that they have a cavity.

Typically, at every cleaning, your dentist will evaluate your child for cavities as well. If they identify a cavity, you can schedule a time to have it filled. If the cavity is only minor, they may decide to put a watch on it instead and advise you to brush and floss more thoroughly to ensure that the cavity does not grow. Or, if your kid is in between visits and you’re worried that they have a cavity, feel free to contact the office or take them in to have the problem addressed.

2. Damaged or Dead Teeth

Learning to ride a bike is a great thing…until you end up with a knocked-out tooth. The good news is, dentists see plenty of them. If a dental emergency occurs and your child’s permanent tooth gets knocked out, put the tooth in a glass of saline solution, milk, or clean water to preserve it until you can get to the dentist, and then get there are soon as possible! Depending on the nature of the injury, the dentist may be able to reattach the tooth.

Sometimes, injuries occur where the tooth is damaged, but not knocked out. Maybe your sons were wrestling. One son hit a tooth but seemed fine, only to have it turn dark a few weeks later. It turns out, this sort of thing is common. As OralAnswers explains, “When blood leaks out of blood vessels after a tooth injury, blood by-products such as iron can make their way into the small tubes inside the dentin layer of the tooth.  As the blood breaks down, it can make the tooth appear to be gray, dark gray, brown or even black.”

It can take a while for the change to occur. In these situations, the tooth may revive itself, or it may simply fall out on its own when it’s ready. If the tooth is swollen or infected, it may need to be removed. That’s why the best thing to do if you notice your child’s tooth turning dark is to go to the dentist and let them handle the problem.

3. Tooth Sensitivity

Closely connected to problems one and two, the third dental health problem facing kids is tooth sensitivity. Like cavities, it’s something that can affect anyone with teeth, but tends to be a particular problem for young kids. Why is that the case?

Fractured teeth.

The outer layer of your teeth, the enamel, is the strong, protective layer that’s meant to take on all the grunt work. The inner layers of your teeth are delicate and extremely sensitive. When a bit of tooth is broken off—whether from a bike fall or a slip at the pool or anything else—it exposes those vulnerable inner layers. This shooting pains when anything comes into contact with them.

Bruxism.

Otherwise known as grinding teeth, bruxism is a problem for the same reason that fractured teeth are. When a child methodically grinds their teeth (whether consciously throughout the day or unconsciously as they sleep), they grind away the enamel that’s protecting those delicate inner layers.

Rough brushing techniques.

Another way the enamel is worn away is when a child brushes too roughly. This is more common than one might think. If your child is complaining of sensitive teeth, it might be that they’re brushing their teeth too hard and scraping away that protective layer.

Tooth decay.

A cavity is essentially just a hole in the tooth. So like the other causes discussed, cavities expose the inner layers of the tooth, causing shooting pains.

If your child is complaining of tooth sensitivity, first, make sure they’re brushing gently. Then, establish that they do not grind their teeth. If both those things are in order, then assess whether tooth decay or a chipped tooth might be the cause of the problem. If you ask their dentist next time they have a visit, they’ll be able to help you discern the cause.

How Can I Protect My Kid’s Teeth?

After this discussion of dental problems, you might be wondering how to protect your child from all these issues. That’s a great question. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to prevent dental emergencies. You can have your child wear a mouthguard when playing sports and encourage them to exercise caution even when playing rough. In the end, the emergencies that cause damaged or dead teeth may simply have to be avoided as best they can and responded to promptly if they do happen.

Tooth decay and tooth sensitivity can be more actively prevented. To reduce your child’s risk of tooth decay and tooth sensitivity:

• Ensure they are brushing twice a day for two full minutes
• Make sure they are flossing to eliminate plaque and debris between their teeth.
• Provide them a balanced diet that’s low in added sugars.
• If they grind their teeth, work with the dentist to help them stop.

If you have questions about how best to support your child’s dental health, contact our office today! We would love to hear from you.