Baby teeth play an important role in children's lives. They are needed for eating properly and well, for speech and for smiling. Baby (primary) teeth keep space in the jaws for the permanent teeth that will replace them and guide their eruption. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the tooth behind it moves forward and narrows or closes the gap. When it is time for the permanent tooth to come through, it may stay trapped in the bone because there is not enough space, or it may come through outside the dental arch. This causes a number of difficulties with cleaning, chewing and the appearance of the smile. Prevention means good oral hygiene right from the child's birth.
From the moment baby teeth appear in the mouth, which usually happens at around 6 months of age, they are at high risk of tooth decay. Early decay most often affects the upper front teeth, and if nothing is done, other teeth are affected too. In some very severe cases, decay progresses so far that the teeth cannot be treated and have to be extracted. The best way to deal with the disease is prevention.
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria that are most often passed from the mother or another family member to the newborn through saliva – for example by sharing cutlery with the child, kissing and so on.
Apart from the bacteria that cause it, an important factor in early childhood caries is the frequent consumption of sweetened foods and drinks – fruit juice, breast milk, formula milk, sweetened water, a dummy dipped in honey. Night-time feeding with sweetened foods and drinks, with the child falling asleep straight afterwards, is especially dangerous. At night, the amount of saliva decreases and it cannot clean away and neutralise the acids that attack the baby teeth, which are not yet well mineralised and are prone to decay. Each time your child has risky foods or drinks, the teeth are demineralised for 20 to 40 minutes. Children who do not get an optimal amount of fluoride are at increased risk of tooth decay.
Prevention includes the following steps:
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Reducing the risk of the newborn being infected with decay-causing bacteria. There are two ways to do this – improving the oral health of the mother and other family members to reduce the number of bacteria, and avoiding sharing saliva – do not share cutlery.
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After each feed, wipe your child's mouth with diluted hydrogen peroxide to remove food remains and restore a normal pH. Once the first teeth come through, use a suitable toothbrush to clean them with water.
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When your child can spit (at two years of age at the earliest), start using a small amount of fluoride-free children's toothpaste.
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Brushing your child's teeth is the parent's job until at least 6 years of age.
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Avoid giving sweetened foods and drinks. At night, give only water.
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Dummies should not be sweetened or contaminated with saliva before being given to the child.
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After the first year, move on to drinking from a cup – this encourages correct swallowing.
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Your child's diet should include more fruit, vegetables and grains. Desserts should not be eaten as snacks between meals, but as part of a main meal.
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Make sure your child gets the right dose of fluoride for their age. Ask your dentist for advice.
Your child's first visit to the dentist should be within six months of the first tooth coming through.
This article is for information only and does not replace an examination by a dentist.
