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Health & Fitness

Common Oral Health Problems in Children

As children begin to grow up, it is important to frequently check how they are doing in terms of oral health. Here are some cases that should raise some red flags for parents.

Missing or Decayed Baby Teeth: while it is true that baby teeth eventually fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth, it is important to take proper care of baby teeth. Decayed or missing baby teeth can lead to crooked permanent teeth, which can lead to difficulty chewing and more cavities. Individuals with misaligned teeth have areas that may be hard to reach, leading to poorer dental hygiene, which can lead to tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Nursing Bottle Syndrome: this is a syndrome that results when baby keeps taking in formula, breast milk, fruit juice, or any type of liquid containing sugar. When babies sleep through the night with a bottle of liquid that has sugar, they have an increased risk of developing caries, which is decay of the tooth. Sugar that comes in contact with teeth for long periods of time also increases the growth of bacteria, which are responsible for tooth decay or infection that can potentially spread to other areas of the body. Note that it isn’t necessarily how much sugar the baby takes in; rather, it’s the amount of time the baby’s teeth have been exposed to sugar.

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Thumb and Lip Sucking: there has been research done showing that thumb sucking can lead to bone structure shifts and tooth misalignments, and children who suck their lips may face similar problems. Both thumb and lip sucking can lead to overbites and protrusion of teeth, and may also lead to difficulty and speech development.  While thumb sucking is a means of comfort for a child, it is important to lead a child away from this habit.

Tongue Thrusting: this is a condition that comes forth from the chronic pressing of the tongue against the lips, which leads to protrusion of teeth. There are speech pathologists that are able to help children strengthen their chewing muscles and to change swallowing patterns, which can prevent dental problems down the road.

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Feel free to contact Drs. Ali & Ali and the caring team at Wellesley Dental Group; they will be happy to answer your questions! Contact us today at 781-237-9071 or smile@wellesleydentalgroup.com

References: http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/children-poor-oral-health/ http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/oral-health-problems-childrenhttp://www.medicinenet.com/oral_health_problems_in_children/page3.htm

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