Every parent spends time worrying about their child’s dental health. Y’all know that early dental care can help prevent more significant problems for kids later in life. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to monitor dental development. Kids run around and play, allowing more opportunities for injury. They might even sneak a sugary snack or two while y’all aren’t looking. We all know it’s impossible to prevent every dental mishap. But it doesn’t hurt to learn more about some of the most common issues to avoid with tooth development in children.
Dental Injuries
Have y’all ever turned your back for one minute while your child is playing only to hear a crash and loud crying? Kids get hurt all the time. Sometimes it’s a bump on the head or a scraped knee. But kids can also injure their mouths on hard furniture or the floor. Try putting corner guards on tables, and remember to block your little ones from running across hardwood floors.
Emergency visits to the dentist for oral cuts and cracked teeth are no fun, especially for children. Injuries at a young age can cause deformed adult teeth, complicating dental health later in life.
Cavities
It’s no secret that kids love sweets. Y’all might allow your kids to have sugary snacks once in a while, or y’all might keep them out of the house altogether. In moderation, a few cookies won’t do much harm if a child brushes their teeth regularly. But snacking on treats too often can lead to early tooth decay in baby teeth. Pulling a baby tooth too early can lead to complications, such as inflammation and pain.
Try to keep sugary snacks in hard-to-reach places and remind others to ask first before handing sweets to your child.
Oral Fixation
If your infant is teething, y’all might put a teething ring or pacifier in their mouth to help ease the discomfort. Unfortunately, kids also tend to place other objects in their mouths that can cause harm. A few issues y’all might encounter include your child chewing on their fingernails and excessive thumb sucking. These activities might seem harmless at first, but they can cause long-term oral hygiene problems.
There’s no shortage of issues to avoid with tooth development in children. Consider all the possibilities when approaching your child’s dental needs to prevent complications later.
