I have come across many parents who don’t feel the need to treat their children’s ‘milk’ or primary teeth… This is because they are temporary and will be replaced by permanent ones! Lack of awareness & ignorance of the parent, results in painful experiences for their children…

Often parents approach a doctor of medicine, instead of a dentist to treat a painful tooth without realizing that medicines provide only temporary relief but not long term benefits. In my opinion parents should keep a regular check on the progress of their children’s teeth as they rarely complain of a problem unless its really painful. And by that time, the tooth has decayed to a great extent!

Infants cannot clean their own teeth.. and one cannot use a tooth brush on such infants with recently erupted teeth. Hence parents should use a soft cloth and clean such teeth after feeding them. Later on once the child grows up and starts brushing on their own.. parents should keep a regular check on the brushing technique used by the child and visit the dentist at least every six months..

If the decayed tooth isn’t treated on time, not only is it painful for the child, but it also has serious consequences in the long run.. If the tooth reaches a stage where it cannot be restored, it may have to be removed. Primary teeth act as natural space maintainers for the permanent successors i.e they prevent faulty eruption of the permanent teeth which leads to crowding and malalignment of the teeth. Not only does the faulty arrangement of teeth affect the aesthetics of the child, but it also hampers the masticatory function i.e. the chewing of the food. Malalignment can lead to food lodgement and make their teeth more prone to development of cavities! Also, everyone knows that having a good smile always helps build a person’s self confidence….

 If such a situation does arise where the teeth need to be extracted, the child needs to be given artificial space maintainers that help maintain that space. All this and more can be taken care off by the dentist, only if the parents show some concern and make sure their child visits the dentist regularly! 

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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