Early Childhood Caries- Enemy of both, Child & Pediatric Dentist

Posted by Floss Dental on January 30th, 2020

The article is provided by Floss Dental- Best Child Specialist Dentist in Noida

I want to start by quoting the most learned minds who say, “Children are the future of the world,” which is precisely the truth and so we have to nurture them for a better future. But unfortunately, if we look from the perspective of a Pediatric Dentist, Dental Negligence in children shows a rampant pattern all over the world. On the one hand, we want to equip them for the unknown, and on the other, we fail to protect them from the known enemy of dental infections, which would keep them away from proper nutrition as a result of dental pain. As soon as a child is born, the parents should be explained about a child’s oral health, diet counseling, and the importance of regular visits along with caries prevention, similar to how they are provided with the immunization schedule of the child. Neglecting oral health can lead to the development of extensive caries involving multiple teeth in a child’s mouth. Such conditions usually start due to ad libidum (at will) feeding habits without cleaning the oral cavity after feeding resulting in accumulation of milk in the mouth, which is not flushed out. This, in turn, acts as a source of nutrition to microorganisms responsible for causing caries. Early Childhood Caries ranges from mild to severe in its expression involving few to most of the teeth in the oral cavity. The extent of caries can vary from superficial to deep, both differing in their treatment procedure. If superficial caries is present, which is not associated with pain, it can be treated with tooth-colored fillings. Deep caries is mostly associated with pain and swelling, making the child uncomfortable and malnourished due to the inability to eat. In such situations, it is advised to the parents to get their child to visit a Pediatric Dentist immediately as the infection can spread further, causing space infections that might need hospitalization. A pulpectomy is usually the treatment of choice for teeth with deep caries, pain, and swelling if the root length of the primary tooth is 3/4th of original with no internal or external resorption. Pulpectomy involved the removal of the pulp and cleaning the pulp canal system, followed by filling with resorbable biocompatible material. It is necessary to place a crown over the tooth treated with pulpectomy as the tooth becomes dry and is prone to breakage; also, re-infection can happen from the margins of the filling. In case, the caries is deep, and the root length of the tooth is less than 3/4th of original, or there is presence of internal or external resorption, in such cases, extraction/ removing the involved tooth is advised followed by space maintainer to maintain space for the permanent tooth to come in its position and preventing adjacent teeth from occupying its space. To avoid the trauma to the child, it is recommended to the parents to keep a close check on their child’s teeth and visit their Pediatric dentist regularly on follow up visit and follow preventive protocol advised. 

Dr. Pulkit- Co-Founder of Floss Dental, is rated as Best Pediatric Dentist in Noida.