Caries of milk teeth

Caries of baby teeth in children has recently become a very urgent problem for both parents and dentists. This pathological process is more and more often found in toddlers who have not turned 2 years old.

According to some medical data, the incidence of caries at the age of 1 year and above has increased dramatically, and nowadays at least 80% of children under the age of four have at least one spoiled ("carious") tooth. To prevent the development of caries in preschool-age children, caring parents need to learn as much information as possible in time to recognize the insidious disease and turn to a specialist, thus preventing the deterioration of the health of the baby.

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Causes of caries of infant teeth

Caries of milk teeth represents the development of the pathological process in the hard tissues of the child's teeth, resulting in the gradual destruction of tooth enamel, as well as internal tissue damage. This pathological process manifests itself in several forms and stages. At the very beginning, caries declares itself as a superficial injury to tooth enamel, but if not treated in a timely manner, it can form a deep cavity already inside the tooth, and then penetrate into its tissues and cause an inflammatory process. First of all, the upper dairy incisors of the baby, as well as the surface of the enamel of the molars, which perform the chewing function, may suffer from caries damage.

The beginning of the development of caries is observed even during the intrauterine period, if the fetus affects the rudiments of the tooth, which are usually formed in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is for this reason that the expectant mother is advised to exercise special caution in this period. The main cause of the emergence and development of caries in children is a violation of the structure of the tooth tissues. Usually future mothers have such diseases as rheumatism, hypertension, all kinds of infections and viral infections, as well as various endocrine system diseases, or severe form of toxicosis. Factors provoking the development of early caries can be smoking of a pregnant mother, or excessive use of a woman of various medicines throughout pregnancy.

During the eruption of the first teeth of the child, it is necessary to remember the hygiene of the oral cavity. What are the causes of dental caries? The main factors that cause caries are:

• non-observance or neglect of the rules of hygiene of the mouth and gums of the child; 
• malnutrition with excessive consumption of carbohydrate foods and sweet dishes; 
• use of nipples, as well as bottles with nipples for feeding the baby for a long period (falling asleep with such a bottle in the mouth provokes a rapid progression of the so-called "bottle" caries); 
• artificial feeding of an infant due to an infectious or hemolytic disease transferred to it; 
• absence in the children's diet of trace elements (in particular, fluorine), important for the growth processes of the child's body.

The above-mentioned "bottle" caries deserves special attention. He is able to quickly destroy the baby's teeth, not giving them the opportunity to fully develop in the future. This kind of caries at first manifests itself as a characteristic coating on the enamel, which has a brown color, and after that provokes rotting and almost complete destruction of the child's teeth. The cause of this negative process is the contact of the baby's teeth for a long period with the sweet mixture contained in the feeding bottle.

Thus, in the mouth of the infant a special environment is formed, very favorable for the propagation of harmful bacteria. For such bacteria, the natural source of energy is carbohydrates, resulting in the processing of which an acid appears, literally "eroding" the enamel of baby milk teeth.

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Symptoms of dental caries

Caries of milk teeth has several stages of development. Therefore, if any pathologies occur in the form of an unremovable plaque, white or brown spots on the child's enamel, the child dentist should be urgently shown.

The main symptoms of caries in childhood can be complaints of the baby for various unpleasant sensations during eating, especially cold or hot, in such cases it is possible that the caries has already penetrated into the deeper tissues of the tooth. Therefore, parents need to pay special attention to such complaints of the child, so that they can provide him with timely assistance. Often a child is difficult to formulate his thoughts, and he can not explain in detail what exactly bothers him. However, even the refusal of a child of a certain food or of food in general should immediately alert the parents. Chewing baby food by one side of the mouth can also indicate the presence of a child's pain in the teeth.

Determining the caries of baby teeth in small children is not so difficult. Visually, you can see on the carious teeth spots (usually white or brown), as well as observe the painful reaction of the baby to a certain food. In addition, the child may have an unpleasant odor from the mouth (this is due to the processes of decay, resulting from rapidly developing caries).

The first symptoms of tooth decay of milk teeth should cause an immediate reaction from the parents, tk. This process is able to develop very rapidly, instantly hitting several teeth at once. If you do not sound an alarm for a long time and take appropriate measures, the whole dentition can be affected by the caries.

What does the caries of baby teeth look like?

Caries of milk teeth can be divided into several types, depending on its visual manifestation, the depth of enamel and dental tissue damage, and also the symptoms. Often parents ask the question "What does the caries of baby teeth look like?" To answer this question, it is necessary to list the main stages of the development of the disease: 

• Initial degree of caries. Characteristic signs of this process is the appearance on the enamel of the tooth of white spots of various sizes, with no pain sensations yet. If the treatment is not performed in a timely manner, then the next stage in the development of the initial caries will be a darkening of the spots (they turn brown or black). It should be noted that at the initial stage of development, caries can still be completely prevented.
• Superficial appearance of caries. This type of pathological process is characterized by defects in the tissues of the damaged tooth, which initially appear exclusively on its surface. The baby is already experiencing pain, but mostly with eating something sweet, sour, or salty.
• The average degree of caries. It is accompanied by severe pain in the tooth, including those that occur when exposed to cold or too hot food. In this case, caries quickly affects both enamel and dentin (ie internal tissues) of the teeth.
• Deep degree of caries. This is the most dangerous stage of the development of the disease. Affects as enamel, and most of the internal tissues of the tooth. Such caries causes a child's reluctance to eat, loss of appetite, frequent vagaries. Most often this is due to constant toothache.

It should be borne in mind that caries of baby teeth quite often affects the whole dentition. Sometimes the number of carious teeth in a child reaches 20. In addition, several cavities can form in one tooth at the same time. In young children, due to their anatomical features, much more thin layer of enamel, as well as internal tissues of the tooth. This detail allows the process to spread much deeper into the tooth much more quickly.

Dental caries of front teeth

Most often caries of baby teeth in small children begins with the process of damage to the front teeth, because they are the most in contact with milk formulas and sweet food. Such caries are called "bottle", since a small child basically gets food through a bottle. Bottle caries is a very serious problem, because as a result of rapid progression, both in its spread and depth, this pathological process can affect even neighboring teeth.

Caries of the dairy front teeth forms dark spots on the tooth enamel, which are visible when the child's oral cavity is visually inspected. Usually, the dentist checks the baby's front teeth for caries by the method of their backlighting. To clarify the clinical diagnosis of "caries of the front teeth", the enamel is probed, and with the help of the results of targeted radiographic tests it is possible to reveal the depth of the carious lesion of the milk teeth. If the disease has an initial stage, then for therapeutic purposes it is necessary to use fluoridation, and also to change the eating habits of the child and to improve hygienic procedures for oral care.

With more advanced stages of dental caries of the front teeth it is supposed to carry out the treatment of a child under intravenous anesthesia. In this process, the restoration of anterior milk teeth involves the use of glass ionomer materials, as well as a filling material intended for the restoration of a damaged tooth.

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Initial caries of infant teeth

The initial caries of the baby teeth manifests itself in two stages: first, there is a so-called. "Stain stage", and then the stage of superficial carious lesion of the tooth develops. The appearance of caries "in the spot" is associated with the appearance on the teeth of the baby (usually on the upper incisors) of white petiolus spots - they have different size and shape. The child does not have painful sensations yet. Carious stains without definite clear boundaries grow with time and form a so-called. "Carious cavities." Thus, the initial caries from the first stage gradually develops into its other stage - a superficial tooth lesion. Sometimes this process is determined with the help of such signs as softening of the enamel of the tooth, the appearance of roughness on the surface of the carious stain, increased sensitivity of the teeth when the child uses salt, sweet or sour, as well as hot or cold food.

The initial caries of milk teeth should be able to distinguish from other diseases, for example, fluorosis or hypoplasia of the enamel. To establish a clinical diagnosis, dentistry is performed in a special ultraviolet light. If the tooth is damaged by caries, then there is no tissue glow; the tissues of a healthy tooth are given a light green glow, and if the child has a hypoplasia of the enamel, it is gray-green. Another method allows to determine the presence of a carious process in the initial stage: for this, tooth tissues are wetted in an aqueous solution of methylene blue (2%) and a solution of methylene red (1%). To do this, the surface of the enamel, previously cleaned from plaque, is dried, and then a dye solution is applied to it. After a couple of minutes, the demineralized areas of the tooth are stained, having a different intensity.

Deep caries of baby teeth

Caries of milk teeth develops gradually, all the while affecting the dental tissues. With deep caries, the bulk of the dentin is destroyed. In this case, only a thin layer separates the pulp from the carious cavity. The child often complains of the occurrence of severe pain when eating cold or hot food.

It should be noted that the deep caries of the baby teeth is a particularly serious disease that is rapidly developing and in most cases passes into the inflammation of the tooth pulp. Diagnosis of deep caries in children includes, first of all, the study of the pulp condition. The results of diagnosis directly affect the choice of treatment. This can be a session with the establishment of a medicamental pad, and treatment with antibiotics and corticosteroids. Often in such cases, the filling of the affected tooth is applied with the application of odontotropic pastes under the seal.

There are cases when the pulp condition can not be determined with deep caries, then a control filling in the form of burnt asbestos is used, which is left in the carious cavity after careful processing. If the child has not had any pain during a week, the cavity can be filled. On its bottom, an odontotropic paste is applied. Unfortunately, caries of baby teeth in the deep stage in children is quite common. In this issue, the main thing is to prevent complications in time.

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Circular caries of infant teeth

Circular caries of infant teeth usually develops in children with weakened immunity: first of all, prematurity, those suffering from rickets, tuberculosis, etc. There is such kind of caries in children who have had infectious diseases (measles, scarlet fever, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, etc.) . In this case, the upper frontal teeth are mostly affected.

In the initial stage, circular caries covers the frontal surface of the milk tooth, namely, the area of its neck, and then spreads over the entire crown of the tooth and penetrates deeper. Naturally, under the influence of the pathological process, the tooth crown is broken and broken. Caries affects the pulp, so most often with dental examination there is a picture of the destruction of the dental crown. Usually the death of the pulp passes asymptomatically, and only the roentgenogram shows the started process of chronic granulating periodontitis.

Circular caries of baby teeth very often occurs without the presence of an inflammatory reaction to the pathological process, which indicates a low level of childhood immunity. Timely remineralizing therapy gives an effect when using a replacement dentin root pulp is isolated from the coronal. Certainly, therapeutic manipulations, in the first place, should be aimed at improving the child's well-being. The initial lesion of the teeth with circular caries is treated with the use of rheotherapy, the deeper - with filling.

Children with varying degrees of caries leakage should be observed in the dispensary. Clinical examination helps in time to identify the initial stage of circular caries, and also to use preventive agents for the development of complications.

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Whether to treat caries of milk teeth?

Quite often, adults do not know whether to treat caries of baby teeth from their children. Parents of the child, whose teeth are incised, should remember that caries of baby teeth for a long period of time can develop almost asymptomatically and unnoticed. This indicates the particular importance of regular examination of the baby by a dentist.

If the child's caries is not treated at all, then this disease can cause a number of serious complications. First of all, it should be noted the defeat of the deep tissues of the carious tooth, and further - the development of periodontitis (the process of inflammation of the tissues surrounding the tooth), as well as pulpitis (the process of inflammation of soft dental tissues). This moment is caused by the fact that the enamel of baby teeth of the child is much thinner than the tooth enamel of an adult person. Thus, the milk teeth are much more prone to the negative effects of pathogenic microflora and destruction. That is why it is necessary to treat caries of milk teeth without fail, in no case delaying this problem "for tomorrow".

Complications caused by caries in the child indicate a lack of responsibility and due attention of the father and mother to the health of the baby. Untimely treatment of children's caries or its complete absence is the main factor leading to the need to remove the affected milk teeth. This phenomenon is in itself negative, because the milk tooth removed not in time, is the cause of various diseases, as well as future pathologies in the development of a permanent tooth. The need to remove the milk tooth, destroyed as a result of deep caries, leads to the installation in its place of a special prosthesis, which excludes the development of dentoalveolar anomalies in the child in the future. Of course, it is best not to allow this situation, because the installation of the prosthesis is a very uncomfortable procedure for a small child.

Preventing the development of caries through preventative measures and effective methods of treatment in the initial stages is the best way to solve this problem. It must be remembered that the health of the entire child's body depends on the health of the teeth as a whole.

What to do with tooth decay?

Caries of milk teeth is a rapid spread in the oral cavity of a bacterial infection that develops against the background of a decrease in the resistance of the child's body.

What to do with tooth decay? In general, the appearance of caries is directly related to the cariogenic streptococcal microflora, which multiplies in the oral cavity of the child literally with lightning speed, especially in weakened children. At the first suspicions on the presence of caries of baby teeth in the child, it is necessary, without delay, to seek help from a pediatric dentist who will timely prescribe a course of treatment. After caries is, first of all, a source of spreading pathogenic infection, which can cause the appearance of various diseases of the internal organs of the baby.

Complications caused by the development of early caries can lead to complete destruction and even death of the rudiments of permanent teeth. It should be remembered that caries of infant teeth can develop very rapidly and most often - asymptomatic. At the same time, the damaged milk tooth can not hurt at all and do not cause the child some discomfort. This is due, first of all, to the absence of nerve endings in the milk tooth.

Modern medicine for today, with the purpose of timely prevention of development of children's caries, uses various preventive measures, in particular, threefold covering of healthy infant teeth of the child with fluorine liquor. This procedure is carried out at intervals of six months. During the appearance of permanent teeth in a child, it is recommended to perform a different procedure called "fissure sealing", which gives very effective results and in 90% prevents the development of carious processes.

How to stop dental caries?

To date, the caries of baby teeth is observed in almost every child, so there is an urgent need to stop the development of infection as quickly as possible. Modern medicine knows how to stop tooth decay of baby teeth and uses for this purpose several well-proven methods, in particular silvering of teeth. The procedure is that the baby's teeth are covered with a special solution that contains silver nitrate. This substance has a strong bactericidal effect and the ability to suspend the process of affecting the tooth enamel of pathogenic microbes.

The procedure of silvering of milk teeth does not require the use of drills, it is carried out quite quickly and absolutely painless for the child. In addition, this method of preventing caries is safe for the baby and does not cause him allergic reactions or food poisoning. Usually, the procedure of silvering is prescribed for children with an initial stage of caries, associated with the appearance of dark spots on the tooth enamel. This method favors the preservation of milk teeth before they are replaced by permanent teeth. The disadvantage of silvering of children's teeth is a visual effect: usually these teeth acquire a black color. Application of silvering with deep damage to the tooth with the formation of carious cavities will not bring the desired result. On the contrary, this procedure in this case can simply harm the baby, because Silver nitrate, consisting of nitric acid salt of a silver metal, can cause a burn of the dental nerve. In turn, the child will be very hurt.

Caries of milk teeth should be treated solely under the supervision of a child's dentist, using professional equipment. In addition to silvering, which is currently disputed, there are no less effective ways to stop the caries. Among them, the most popular are mineralization (i.e., deep fluoridation of the teeth) and ozonation (so-called disinfection of the oral cavity). Which of these methods will be most effective in a particular case, the specialist decides.

Treatment of caries of a baby tooth

Modern medicine has various alternative methods of treating caries of baby teeth. They are aimed at eliminating all the unpleasant moments associated with treatment, in particular, the treatment of a damaged tooth with a dental drill.

Caries of milk teeth is treated using methods that include the treatment of cavities using special chemicals and hand tools. Recently, laser dental units have also appeared, whose work is aimed at treating dental caries. Unfortunately, so far, none of the alternative methods of caries treatment gives such an effective result as the use of a time-tested drill in this process. In the treatment of pediatric caries in the conditions of using professional dental equipment, there are several stages.

Initially, the affected milk tooth is thoroughly cleaned from demineralized, softened tissues infected with bacteria. Then, the milk tooth is sterilized, as well as the hermetic closure of the carious cavity with the help of special materials. Thus, the cured milk tooth can serve until the child has a permanent change. This is the main goal of pediatric dentistry.

The decision to treat or remove the milk tooth is taken by a dentist who, based on personal experience, determines the best option, taking into account the specific situation. It is especially important to make the right decision if the child has no pain, after all the cured baby teeth, like the sick, will fall out sooner or later. Therefore, in itself, filling in most cases does not bring particular benefits, but this process causes the child to fear and discomfort.

When observing the first signs of the development of caries in a child, you should immediately consult a pediatric dentist. It is important for parents to internalize the fact that caries can be cured only at the stage of the appearance of a "white spot". For this purpose, the child is prescribed vitamins (B1, B6, A, D, C), as well as calcium and phosphorus (Calcium gluconate, Calcitonin, Sibacalcin, etc.).

Regarding alternative methods aimed at treating tooth decay, it is necessary to take into account the fact that alternative agents in such cases are used only for preventive purposes. They can not completely heal cavities. Prevention of caries with the help of alternative means basically reduces to rinsing the child's mouth with decoctions of herbs and ingestion of general health-improving herbal preparations. Such prophylaxis is available at home, while treatment (in particular, sealing) of baby teeth is possible only in a medical institution and conducted by a qualified specialist. From the recipes of alternative medicine, aimed at anesthetizing carious tooth, we can distinguish the following: 

• On a sick tooth, you need to put a propolis the size of a pea and cover the place with a cotton swab, for 20 minutes. Propolis has analgesic properties, but it can destroy the tooth, so it should not be used for a long time. 
• To temporarily relieve the pain, a cotton wool soaked in garlic juice is applied to the affected tooth. 
• To rinse the baby's mouth, use a sage or chamomile infusion: 1 tbsp. Spoon of herbs add to a glass of boiling water, insist for 1 hour.

According to the recommendations of children's dentists, parents need to show their child to doctors, beginning with one-year-old age, at least once every six months. Thus, it is possible to control the development of the baby, and also to prevent dental caries in a timely manner.

Prevention of caries of a baby tooth

Caries of infant teeth can develop in children, starting from their earliest age. Preventive measures to prevent this pathological process is advisable to be carried out together with the eruption of the baby's first milk teeth.

With the help of special means intended for oral care, it is necessary to regularly remove microbial plaque and food residues from the baby's teeth. To such means, first of all, the usual tooth-brush concerns. The use of children's toothpaste is recommended for children starting from the first year. This is the main prevention of caries of the baby tooth. An important factor is the correspondence of the toothpaste composition to childhood age. About this, first of all, indicates the information on the package. For example, a child under the age of three is better not to buy a toothpaste with fluoride content. Young children are not able to properly brush their teeth and rinse the mouth, they often swallow a large amount of toothpaste. Regular swallowing of a tooth paste with fluoride in the future can cause serious consequences and thereby undermine the baby's health, since fluorine is an active element.

Since the age of four, children have partially acquired the skills of brushing their teeth, they know how to spit out the remnants of toothpaste and, thus, can use for prevention toothpaste with fluoride - a substance that reduces the risk of developing and developing caries of baby teeth.

As for the choice of toothbrushes, at first mother must learn to carefully remove plaque in the child with a special brush-fingertips. Parents need to teach their children to brush their teeth as early as possible, starting from the age of 2.5-3 years old of the baby.

In addition to using toothpaste and brushes, preventive measures to prevent the development of children's caries, include a balanced diet of the baby. Such a diet should contain enough fat, carbohydrates, proteins, as well as minerals and vitamins, necessary for the proper formation and development of dental tissues.

Breastfeeding is one of the most important aspects of the prevention of dental caries. Older children need to give fluorinated salt and water, for the application of which there is no special indication. Additional sources of calcium, above all, are dairy products, potatoes, cheese, cottage cheese, legumes, and also mineral water.