by Douglas Penland
Nothing beats a mother’s joy upon seeing her child smile for the first time. For babies, the beauty of smile lies in the purity of their hearts and minds. Nevertheless, as they grow up, the appearance of their smiles reflects on the health of their teeth. Hence, it is important for a child to know the importance of dental health as early as possible.
Factors that affect a child’s dental health vary by age. Babies 4 months old to 3 years old suffer tooth decay due to excessive sugar concentration and thumb sucking. Excessive sugar concentration, also called “baby tooth decay”, is caused by frequent contact of liquid carbohydrates and sugars on teeth surfaces. Bacteria from these liquid carbohydrates stay on the baby’s mouth, feeding the sugar trapped on the teeth.
Thumb sucking can cause serious dental problems when it lasts until toddlerhood. At this age, permanent teeth start to grow, replacing the baby teeth. Thumb sucking can badly affect the structure and placement of the permanent teeth. Depending on its intensity and duration, it can cause protrusion, overbite, and misalignment in the roof of the mouth. This can also affect a child’s speech, resulting to mispronunciation of some letters and words.
Excessive consumption of sweets among toddlers can also cause tooth decay. Tooth decay worsens when a child does not brush the teeth properly. It allows more bacteria to feed on the sugar in the mouth, teeth and gums. Because of this, dentist in Murfreesboro, TN recommend monthly dental check-up to monitor a child’s dental health.
Tooth decay can cause early tooth loss, resulting in abnormalities of teeth growth. Extra spaces on the gums can lead to shifting of teeth placement. Consequently, abnormal teeth growth can result in grave oral problems like Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ). Some children experience loss of appetite because of teeth misalignment, which affects their chewing process. Dental experts and dentist in Murfreesboro, TN treat this problem by oral prophylaxis and implant of teeth jackets.
Good oral health results in beautiful teeth. It is very important to maintain good dental health as early as childhood in order to avoid future dental problems. There are several dental experts and dentist in Murfreesboro, TN offering excellent dental health services.
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