🦷 Treatment of bottle tooth decay in children
The first teeth are long-awaited, long-awaited... But what is this? Some strange white coating has appeared on the upper incisors?!
It appears as white patches near the gums and looks like wet chalk. They will peel off if you gently scrape them with your fingernail (don't do that!), but there is no normal enamel underneath. Later, the patches may turn yellow, brown or gray, but they are white at first, which can be confusing for mom.
❗️ Attention, this is a very insidious childhood caries!
Bottle caries of milk teeth develops in the first 3 years of a child's life. It affects mainly the cervical areas of the upper incisors, canines, less often molars and destroys both enamel and dentin at the same time. It has a very rapid development: from the first signs to the complete destruction of the tooth, only a few months can pass. The cervical part of the tooth decreases, and it can break off with the subsequent development of pulpitis or periodontitis.
This form of caries is believed to be associated with night feedings – both when breastfeeding and formula feeding.
Toothache is unbearable for a baby, disrupts nutrition, sleep, and overall development. Chronic inflammation reduces immunity. And a malocclusion can also form. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to wait until the teeth are replaced with permanent ones without the help of a doctor.
What to do?
- ▶️ First, be sure to brush your teeth from the first tooth.
- ▶️ Secondly, as soon as you notice any stains or other unusual manifestations on the first teeth - quickly go to a pediatrician or pediatric dentist !
Our pediatricians will tell you how to properly brush baby teeth, check their condition, and if there is a problem, tell you what to do next. And in Kharkiv we also have a wonderful children's dental office, where we try to save every tooth.