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Early Dental Care

The consequences of caries in milk teeth can serious and life long!

Milk teeth are extremely important for the child to be able to chew and swallow correctly, to speak correctly, to maintain the space for permanent teeth and to develop a good self-esteem. Many people, even healthcare professionals, think that milk teeth have little importance because they will be replaced by permanent teeth! There is nothing farther from the truth.

Caries is currently the most common chronic infectious disease during childhood and it can cause severe repercussions in the baby's and the child's general health, for example:

• Intense pain


• Hospitalization and emergency visits


• Physical under development


• Lower quality of life concerning oral health


• High treatment cost



But probably the most important factor for taking care of milk teeth is the close relationship between dental decay in milk teeth and permanent teeth. In other words, a child with caries in the milk teeth will probably have caries in permanent teeth and, therefore will be an adult with multiple dental treatments, with the economic, psychological and emotional consequences. Caries spreads very quickly in milk teeth because their enamel is thinner than in permanent teeth and the nerve is closer to the surface. The first stage of early childhood caries is usually the appearance of "white spots" in the enamel of the upper front teeth, generally in the area close to the gum. In babies and small children this decalcification progresses quickly into a cavity, causing pain, difficulty to eat, loss of school days, oral infections, facial cellulitis, emergency visits and hospitalizations.

• » Our advice on this subject is
  • If you see that your baby has a “white spot” or any pigmentation on the external side of his/her upper incisors, look for a paediatric dentist immediately to stop dental decay and reverse the risk factors that caused the disease.
    
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