• Are ‘milk teeth’ worth treating?
• What is tooth sealing?
• What is “bottle decay”?
• Can untreated teeth cause heart disease?
• Is only the first teething painful?
• What toothpaste can a 1,5-year-old child use?
• How to relieve pain when teething?
• What does fluoridation give?
• When should I give my child fluoride preparations?
• When do the first teeth start to cut?

Are ‘milk teeth’ worth treating?

Yes, without a doubt. The condition of future permanent teeth largely depends on the health condition of milk teeth. It is currently believed that premature removal of primary teeth later risks severe bite defects. When it comes to children, all bones grow quite intensively, including the jawbone. In order for the growth process to take place correctly, it needs stimuli. One of these stimuli is a milk tooth stuck in the jaw, which “works” or bites food. Following this path of reasoning, the more teeth are removed, the fewer stimuli the bones will have for the growth. As a result, premature cutting of permanent teeth that are larger than milk teeth may occur, and it may turn out that they simply do not fit in the jaw. They grow at the wrong angle or overlap, they do not give space for other teeth. Then the chance of caries, periodontal diseases and orthodontic defects increases. That is why it really pays off to treat milk teeth. Especially since untreated caries can spread to permanent teeth. In a situation where caries attacks a large tooth surface or covers many milk teeth, this process can be stopped without removing the tooth – then you need to cauterizate or otherwise impregnate the dentin.

What is tooth sealing?

Lakowanie to  profilaktyka, zadaniem jest ochrona bruzd zębów przed rozwojem próchnicy poprzez wypełnienie ich odpowiednim materiałem. Lakowanie wykonuje się najczęściej w zębach bocznych, których bruzdy są szczególnie głębokie a przez to szczególnie narażone na próchnicę. Głębokie bruzdy są miejscami retencyjnymi dla płytki bakteryjnej, pokarmu, których oczyszczenie nawet najcieńszymi włosiami szczoteczki jest często niemożliwe. Zabieg wykonuje się jedynie w zębach całkowicie wyrzniętych i zdrowych nietkniętych jeszcze próchnicą. Pokrycie lakiem zęba z próchnicą prowadziłoby do groźnych powikłań w postaci rozwoju próchnicy pod lakiem i przez dłuższy czas niewidocznej. Dlatego lakowanie należy wykonać niezwłocznie po wyrznięciu się pierwszych stałych zębów trzonowych tzn. około 6 roku życia dziecka, niekiedy wcześniej lub później.

Sealing is a preventative measure, its task is to protect the furrows of teeth against the development of tooth decay by filling them with appropriate material. Sealing is usually performed in the lateral teeth, the furrows of which are particularly deep and therefore particularly exposed to caries.

Deep furrows are retention places for bacterial plaque, food, which cleaning with even the thinnest brush hair is often impossible. The procedure is performed only in completely cut and healthy teeth that are not yet affected by caries. Covering the tooth with sealing to a decaying tooth would lead to serious complications in the form of tooth decay under the sealing and invisible for a long time. Therefore, sealing should be carried out immediately after the first permanent molar teeth have cut, i.e. around 6 years of age, sometimes sooner or later.

What is “bottle decay”?

Bottle humus is a variation of flowering humus, i.e. the rapid development of tooth decay on many teeth at once. Applies to babies and preschoolers. Bottle decay occurs with children fed by sweet food through a bottle with a teat. This method of administering sweet liquids extends the time of sugars being kept in the mouth and what is more, it acidifies the oral environment. Also falling asleep with a bottle of sweet drink or a teat dipped in syrup causes this type of humus. A sleeping child with a bottle in his mouth reduces salivation, which main reason is to neutralize this acidification. Therefore, after a child drinks a sweet drink, rinse his mouth with water or unsweetened liquid. In addition, do not additionally sweeten ready-made juices and drinks.

Can untreated teeth cause heart disease?

Yes of course. Particularly dangerous are pathological changes in the periodontal area, e.g. periodontal abscesses, chronic inflammation of periapical tissues, periodontal diseases. The bacteria that accumulate there and their toxins get into the blood, after which they can cause minimal myocarditis, endocarditis, valves and even myocardial infarction, i.e. temporary hypoxia of myocardial cells. In addition to heart disease, bacterial toxins from untreated teeth can also cause tonsil diseases, throat, ear and sinus infections, and promote stomach ulcers, joint and kidney diseases. Therefore, it is better to regularly check the condition of the teeth at least every six months, than wait until the toothache compels us to visit the dentist. Let us remember that proper oral hygiene, regular diet and follow-up visits will mean that we will enjoy health longer and of course a beautiful smile.

In addition, appropriate determinants of oral and dental health are:

1. Restrictions in eating sweets and snacks. 20 minutes, is the time after eating, when the teeth are already being attacked by acids, which produce bacteria that mainly feed on sugars
2. Not eating between meals. Vegetables, fruit, cheese or natural yogurt are allowed.
3. Eating as part of a larger meal poses far fewer risks.
4. It is caused by a larger amount of saliva released at that time, which helps to rinse out food residues from between the teeth and subsequently reduce the effect of acids
5. Cleaning teeth after each meal

Is only the first teething painful?

Both cutting of milk and permanent teeth is associated with unpleasant ailments. Salivation increases, the gums become swollen, red, and itchy. The child rubs his gums with his hands, toys and other objects that he manages to put in his mouth. Teething is accompanied by physiological mild inflammation, which may increase depending on the disorder. As a rule, cutting of permanent teeth causes less pain.

What toothpaste can a 1.5-year-old child use?

When it comes to a 1.5-year-old child, the most important element when brushing teeth is getting them used to the mechanical process of scrubbing the teeth, that is making certain specific movements. Parents should perform this activity together with their children. The paste that is recommended for children at this age should contain 500 ppm of fluorine. If the child does not spit out the toothpaste yet, you only need to gently brush the bristles, and only as the child begins to spit out the toothpaste after brushing you can increase the amount of paste applied to the amount of pea.

How to relieve pain when teething?

Teething is not a disease, but only a physiological process affecting every infant. It is true that symptoms can be alleviated to make tooth eruption less unpleasant. The easiest way to give your child during this period is a special, hard teether, which rubs the gums soothing the itching. The same effect is achieved by putting hard skins from bread or rusks in your mouth. Gingivitis is reduced by rinsing with chamomile infusion. You need to brew a chamomile flower, soak a piece of sterile gauze in it, wrap it onto a finger and gently rub the gums remembering about perfect hygiene. With very severe symptoms, your doctor may recommend lubricating your gums with special gels or ointments if your child is not allergic to their ingredients. There are preparations available in pharmacies that reduce local ailments. They have a local anesthetic and disinfectant effect, often in combination – depending on the ingredients they contain. If the symptoms are severe, combined with a fever, the advice of a pediatrician or dentist is needed.

What does fluoridation give?

Fluoridation is prevention that strengthens teeth. Fluoride builds up in their enamel and affects the hydroxyapatites present in it, that is, calcium compounds. Due to the fluoride that has built into the tooth enamel to form fluoroapatites, these compounds are less soluble in acids, which are very much in the mouth, especially after eating. And since they are more resistant to acids, then also to bacteria causing caries. In addition, fluorine compounds themselves inhibit the bacterial growth.

When should I give my child fluoride preparations?

Fluoride preparations should be used by the mother during pregnancy. However, this decision should only be made by a doctor based on tests. With a child, fluoride preparations can be given before the teeth are cut. Then the surface of the teeth that appear will be stronger and more resistant to the action of caries. The recommended dose for children aged 2-4 is 0.5 mg, over 4 years – 1 milligram of fluoride per day. Doses of fluorine above 2 mg per day are considered toxic. Fluoride should also not be given to children living in areas where drinking water from the tap water system is fluoride. Excess fluoride can cause dentin damage and cause a disease called fluorosis, which appears as chalk-white spots on most teeth surfaces.

When do the first teeth start to cut?

As a rule, the first milk teeth start to cut around the 6th month of life. First, the lower two incisors appear, and a few months later, the upper two. However, this is not the rule. The term is largely genetically determined, but it also depends on whether the child is small, fragile, and often ill. The physiological norm in which milk teeth should begin to cut is the period from 4 to 11 months of the child’s life. Some babies don’t start teething until the end of their first year of life, and this is still consistent with physiological norm. For the teeth condition, too early toothing in range of 3-4 months is worse. The teeth are then less mineralized and are easier to decay.