Certain dental cases are unique to children and this is the reason why pediatric dentistry is important. Children are commonly affected by a number of oral problems that makes it necessary for them to visit a dentist. Most of the dental cases in children are associated with the normal development of the child. These cases may include teething problems and also thumb sucking to name just but a few.
Actually, pediatric dentistry in Silverdale WA involves handling a wide range of teething problems. Normally, a baby’s first tooth will occur between the age of five and seven months. During the teething process, the teeth grow and break through the gums. The process of teething may cause some discomfort to the baby. Consequently, many parents may even confuse teething problems with other health complications. If you notice some drooling, chewing and swollen gum in your child, chances are that your child is in the teething stage. You can have your child checked by a dentist to determine whether the teething process is going on properly.
Another unique case that is handled under pediatric dentistry is that of nursing bottle caries. Nursing caries are also commonly referred to as baby bottle tooth decay. They normally occur when children sleep with baby bottles in their mouths. Nursing caries are very common especially in the children between the age of 1 and 2 years. In some cases, breastfed babies who sleep while nursing are also at a risk of nursing caries. How can you tell whether your child has nursing caries or not? Normally, the caries begin as white spots on the teeth and then brown areas that lead to destruction of the teeth. It is imperative to seek immediate pediatric dental care should you suspect that your child is suffering from this condition.
You could also seek pediatric dentistry Silverdale, WA if you happen to notice that your child has some problem of thumb sucking. Usually, bite problems, protruding teeth and also other dental infections have been attributed to thumb sucking. Thumb sucking should thus be controlled as it could lead to more serious dental problems. It is of more concern if the thumb sucking problem happens to extend beyond the age of five years. Many kids however tend to abandon the thumb sucking habit after the age of five years.
In addition, pediatric dentistry also involves addressing problems of early teething in children. If your child loses a tooth very early, the rest of the teeth in the mouth may shift and fill the empty space leaving no room for a new tooth to develop. The pediatric dentist may thus suggest having a spacer placed in the child’s mouth as this will ensure that the space is maintained until the new tooth develops.
