There are many questions that parents will often have about meeting the medical needs of their children. While dental care may not seem like it will be a difficult part of your child's needs to meet, it can be surprisingly complicated for parents that may not have given it much thought.
How Can Excessive Thumb-Sucking Damage Your Child's Teeth?
It is perfectly normal for small children to want to suck on their thumbs. However, it should be noted that this behavior can become problematic if it is allowed to continue once the child's teeth have developed. The act of sucking on the thumb can create stresses on the teeth that may lead to them shifting positions over time. Also, this can introduce harmful bacteria to the mouth that may lead to your child becoming ill or contributing to the accumulation of plaque and tartar. For these reasons, it is advisable to attempt to break your child of sucking their thumb once their teeth have started to develop.
What If One Of Your Child's Baby Teeth Gets Knocked Out?
When an adult tooth gets knocked out, it will have to be replaced in order to repair the cosmetic damages and practical complications that it can cause. However, parents may not assume that this is as serious of a matter when a baby tooth gets knocked loose as they may assume the adult tooth will simply take its place. Unfortunately, a missing baby tooth can contribute to long-term dental complications for your child. For example, it can lead to the neighboring teeth developing alignment issues as they may shift to close the gap. This can lead to further problems when the adult tooth develops as there may not be room for it. Your pediatric dentist will be able to use spacers and other devices to prevent this shifting from occurring so that the damage from the missing tooth is kept low.
Is It Possible To Correct Minor Alignment Issues Without Using Braces?
Alignment issues are another common issue for children to experience. While severe alignment issues will have to be treated with braces, relatively minor alignment issues may be able to be treated with specially designed retainers that can gradually shift the positioning of the teeth. These retainers work in much the same way as traditional braces. Yet, they are more discreet, and they can be removed when eating or cleaning the teeth. A pediatric dental professional will be able to help you determine whether corrective treatments are needed for your child's alignment issues, and they can provide insight into the various treatment options.
Reach out to a pediatric dentist to learn more.