Cavities are also known as dental caries, according to research caries affect primary teeth in children as compared to adult permanent teeth, due to fewer teeth mineralisation content (source). Initial treatment negligence can cause pain and infection and lead to restless nights for both babies and parents. The best way to prevent cavities in babies is to use a proactive approach that includes good oral hygiene, nutrition, and regular dental visits. A leading dentist in London provides expert advice for parents to prevent cavities in their babies:
Steps to Prevent Cavities in Babies; Expert Advice for Parents
1. Begin Early Oral Hygiene
Clean Gums Before Teeth Eruption: Start initial oral cleaning even before your baby's teeth appear, clean their gums with a soft, wet cloth or gauze after feeding to remove bacteria and milk residue.
Brush as Soon as Teeth Emerge: When the first tooth erupts in the oral cavity, use a soft-bristle baby toothbrush especially at bedtime with less amount of fluoride toothpaste (the size of a grain of rice).
Fluoride Toothpaste: Using ADA-approved fluoride toothpaste, to improve enamel and prevent decay. Always use age-appropriate fluoride in toothpaste after the recommendation from a leading dentist in London like Dental Care Centre.
2. Avoid Prolonged Bottle-Feeding
Reduce the duration of the bottle-feeding containing formula milk, or juice, as this might cause "baby bottle syndrome." Sugars in these beverages accumulate around the teeth and provide food to cavity-causing bacteria.
Switch From Bottle to Cup: To lessen the risk of cavities, shift your infant from a bottle to a sippy cup by their first birthday. If a bedtime bottle is required, fill it with water rather than sweet liquids.
3. Limit Sugary Foods and Beverages
Avoid Sugary Snacks: Instead of sugary or starchy snacks like cookies and crackers, offer babies healthy alternatives such as fruits, vegetables, and cheese.
Dilute Juice or Avoid It: Water is a natural and best way to keep babies hydrated; juices should not be provided to children under 1 year. According to pediatric dentists, juice intake is limited to (4-6 ounces per day) in toddlers.
4. Promote Fluoride Use
Fluoride Supplements: If your tap water is not fluoridated, and your baby has multiple decay teeth, you should consult your dentist about fluoride supplements or therapies.
Fluoride Varnish: It is a thin protective layer that applies to the tooth surface to form a barrier against tooth decay. Dentists apply varnish at six months to strengthen enamel.
5. Establish a Dental Routine
Early First Dental Visit: Schedule your baby's first dental visit by their first birthday and celebrate it as a milestone to control dental treatment anxiety.
Regular checkups: Early visits are crucial to monitor dental development and provide preventive care, such as sealant and fluoride varnish treatments.
6. Select Sugar-free Pacifiers and Medications
Sugar-free Products: Limit the use of pacifiers as the teething starts or if necessary to use it, choose sugar-free pacifiers. Avoid stain-causing and sugar-added medications, especially if they will stay on your baby's teeth for an extended amount of time.
7. Monitor Tooth Development
Parents should carefully monitor baby's teeth colour changes, as it is the early indicator of tooth decay, white patches appear that become darker with time, if you notice any problems, see a dentist immediately.
Why it is Important to Prevent Cavities in Babies?
Babies' oral health has a huge impact on their overall well-being, it can affect their systemic health, comfort, and development. Cavities in baby teeth, known as "early childhood caries" (ECC) involve multiple teeth and develop due to improper oral hygiene at an early age. It has long-term implications if not treated; as primary teeth play a crucial part in speech development, and feeding, and maintain space for permanent teeth replacements.
1. Ensuring Long-term Oral Health
Foundation for Permanent Teeth: Baby teeth keep space for permeant teeth eruption and guide their proper alignment. Cavities can cause premature tooth loss, misalignment, and crowding. Interceptive orthodontic treatment is required to maintain the space for permeant teeth.
Preventing Future Gum Disease: Cavities in primary teeth can cause early tooth loss and malalignment, which cause difficulty in maintaining proper hygiene and increase plaque accumulation between teeth and gum, which increases the risk of decay and gingivitis in adult teeth.
2. Preventing Pain and Discomfort
Deep cavities in baby teeth can result in pain, sensitivity, and infection. Babies cannot always communicate their discomfort adequately, which might result in undiscovered problems.
Untreated cavities may necessitate invasive treatments such as extractions or fillings, which can develop dental treatment anxiety at a young age.
3. Promoting Proper Nutrition
Cavities can make eating uncomfortable, resulting in essential nutritional deficiencies that can delay physical development. Difficulty in chewing impairs the absorption of important nutrients and minerals from foods such as vitamin B6, B-12, iron fruits, zinc, calcium and magnesium, which can affect the baby's eye side, and brain development.
4. Supporting Speech and Jaw Development
Baby teeth are essential for speech development. Cavity-related tooth loss might cause speech delays or trouble pronouncing specific sounds. Early tooth loss due to cavities can disturb facial development.
5. Preventing Serious Infections
Untreated and deep cavities can develop into abscesses or gum infections (gingivitis). In severe circumstances, these infections can spread to submandibular spaces or below the chin, causing significant health hazards.
6. Avoiding Emotional and Social Challenges
Tooth decay can alter a child's smile, causing self-consciousness as they grow older it badly affects children's self-esteem. Healthy teeth promote a confident grin, which is essential for social interactions.
7. Reducing the Financial Burden
Cavities prevention or early treatment in baby teeth is less expensive than treating advanced decay or dealing with problems such as infection. It can save, effort, time and cost of complex dental treatment.
Conclusion
It is crucial to prevent cavities in babies, experts advise parents to start early oral hygiene maintenance in babies, maintain regular dental visits every six months, and avoid bottle feeding, beverages and other sugar and starch-rich food. Untreated cavities can lead to infection, discomfort, early loss of teeth and malignment in permanent teeth, so save your young one smile because prevention is better than cure.
