Pediatrics

Tooth decay in children

Synonyms in the broadest sense

Tooth decay

English: caries

definition

Caries is the destruction of the hard tooth substance by external influences. There are definitely places on teeth that are particularly often affected by tooth decay. Tooth decay is caused by bacteria. They form acids that attack the tooth.

causes

Tooth decay is a problem that occurs at almost every age. In principle, children's teeth should not be affected by caries. With a healthy and balanced diet right from the start, tooth decay only occurs in very rare cases. An unhealthy diet in children, especially with lots of sweets, promotes the development of tooth decay.

Tooth decay is caused by bacteria. These bacteria are found in plaque. The bacteria break down the sugar and its products into acid. These acids demineralize the hard tooth substance, including the tooth enamel, and thus trigger tooth decay. Not only the plaque has a positive effect on the development of caries, but also a correspondingly long exposure time to the acids plays a decisive role. Regular teeth brushing should therefore be part of daily oral hygiene. The composition and the pH value of the saliva are also not insignificant: the lower the pH value, the more harmful the saliva is to the tooth substance.

Course of tooth decay

Depending on where the tooth decay is attacked, it takes a longer or shorter period of time until it is attacked on the tooth. Tooth enamel is the outermost layer around the tooth. Once attacked and destroyed, it cannot grow back. It can be faster Tooth on the neck of the tooth - if these are not covered by gums, i.e. are exposed - can be attacked directly on the cement.
In the beginning, complaints are usually rare, because you can only see the tooth areas affected by caries.
Pain is one of the late symptoms.
The dentist will find dark discolored areas. If these cannot be removed, i.e. scratched away, that is Dental caries diagnosis to consider. Forms of caries that cannot be seen from the outside are particularly dangerous. However, most of these affect adults. The tooth decay is inside the tooth and can only be determined by means of X-ray to make visible. However, since X-rays should be avoided in children, diagnosis is difficult. In special children's dental practices, the equipment is so modern that there are radiation-reduced X-ray machines especially for children. As mentioned above, children's teeth are usually not affected by it. The high fluorine content of today's toothpastes is taken into account for the development of caries within the tooth.

diagnosis

The diagnosis of caries is made by the dentist. He notices dark areas on the teeth. There are areas here that are particularly often affected by tooth decay. Exposed tooth necks are not only sensitive to pain, but also prone to caries. The chewing surfaces or interdental spaces are most at risk of being dropped from tooth decay.

Caries of the milk teeth

A poor oral hygiene combined with poor nutrition quickly leads to the black spots on the teeth. Just that Front teeth are often affected by this. This is called ECC (Early Childhood Caries) or "Nursing Bottle Syndrome" (Bottle caries). It occurs when children drink high-sugar drinks from a drinking bottle at an early age and over a longer period of time. The long exposure time can severely damage the front teeth.

As Therapy can for smaller places often one filling come into question, but with severe destruction there is also prefabricated steel children's crowns. The dentist has to decide in each individual case whether and how the carious teeth can be restored. If there are already many carious spots in the deciduous teeth, the risk of bad teeth is also increased later. It is therefore the duty of the parents to practice good oral hygiene with the children on a daily basis. Only in this way can children learn how to keep their teeth healthy for a long time.

Detection of tooth decay in milk teeth

Although the teeth in children differ in color and shape from the teeth in adults, the tooth decay looks very similar here. First signs put the typical black spots on the teeth This can be seen by looking closely at the teeth. These are initially small, later larger black areas. Over time, the enamel begins to soften and pain occurs when eating.

The dentist can estimate the size with the help of a mirror and a probe or an X-ray and initiate adequate therapy. This can under Local anesthesia, but also under general anesthesia for very restless and anxious children. However, one should not confuse tooth decay with discoloration. These are brownish stains on the tooth enamel, which are caused by various foods. Even if you cannot remove them at home with your own toothbrush, the teeth are gleaming white again after a professional tooth cleaning at the dentist.

What can you do about tooth decay in children?

Also in childhood and on milk teeth Caries removed and the resulting cavity treated. However, the dentist can only initiate the correct therapy after thorough clarification. If the tooth is worth preserving, the dentist begins to remove (drill out) the caries. Then the tooth can then with a filling or a steel crown. But as with adults, the size of the tooth decay is clearly important. In addition, the importance of preservation, the age of the child and the permanent tooth also play a major role in children.

If the tooth cannot stay in the mouth, it must be extracted so as not to damage the following tooth. Often there will be no children Gap holder manufactured. These are braces that take the place of the extracted tooth so that the adjacent teeth do not wander into the gap. This leaves enough space for the following tooth to break through in accordance with the standard. It must therefore be worn until the successor has broken through. Only the dentist can decide on the exact therapy based on anamnesis and diagnostics. In order not to damage the later teeth, a visit to the dentist should definitely take place in the case of tooth decay in childhood.

therapy

The tooth decay of the Milk teeth is still relatively high despite the increasing number of preventive medical check-ups.
The therapy consists of a dental treatment. The carious area must be removed to prevent further spread - also from tooth to tooth. So “drilling” cannot be avoided.

Can tooth decay in children still be cured?

Caries is an infectious disease that is passed on by droplet infection. This can happen, for example, with a kiss while cuddling. Carious areas can be removed and then filled with a filling. However, proper oral hygiene must then be maintained to prevent tooth decay from returning. Such spots can recur for a lifetime. Correct “healing” of the tooth decay, in the sense that it never returns after removal, is therefore not possible.

prophylaxis

As parents, avoid excessive sugar intake for your child. To ensure this, one should know the different types of sugars and where they can be hidden,

There are several different types of sugar:

Fruit sugar (fructose)
Grape sugar (glucose)
Milk sugar (lactose)

The easiest way for bacteria to metabolize glucose and fructose. Sugar is one of the carbohydrates. No living being can exist without carbohydrates. They are the most important suppliers of energy. Above all, our cells can gain rapid energy from this. The bacteria in the oral cavity also need carbohydrates. The waste products are acids that attack the teeth. Sugar substitutes such as xylitol cannot be digested by the bacteria and therefore hardly contribute to the development of caries.

Hidden sugars can be found in ketchup, lemonades, fruit juices or canned vegetables, for example. Of course, there are differences here. The sugar in the fruit juice is nowhere near as highly concentrated as that in the lemonade. Fructose is less harmful than ordinary industrial sugar. However, it should not be drunk too often and only very diluted (e.g. water: juice in a ratio of 2: 1). Do not let your children drink the juice or the juice spritzer from the bottle. There is an increased risk of tooth decay here.

Baby teeth can be "sealed" by the dentist. Here a kind of protective layer made of plastic resin comes over the tooth surface. This procedure is absolutely painless. The dentist only needs to thoroughly clean and dry the teeth. A seal is primarily used to preserve the permanent teeth. The first permanent molars, for example, grow between the ages of five and seven years. A seal lasts about four years on average. Seals are harmless to health. Allergies rarely occur.

Of course, the teeth must be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. Dentists recommend toothpastes containing fluorine, which harden the teeth. Teeth should also be brushed for small children. Even in early childhood, it is important to ensure that the toothbrush is not too hard in order to protect the gums, which protect the tooth necks and hold the entire tooth. Opinions differ as to the type of bristle. But in general it can be said that a normal toothbrush with straight bristles definitely serves its purpose!

Children should go to the dentist for check-ups twice a year.

forecast

If a tooth is infected with caries, the dentist can of course try to remove the defect, i.e. to drill. However, caries cannot be reversed or cured. So it is important to prevent it in any case.
Even if the carious part of the tooth has been removed and, for example, provided with a crown, it may well happen that the caries forms again here too.