Caries in children: features of development and treatment

​One of the unpleasant pathologies of the oral cavity in people of any age is caries. Recently, young children are increasingly diagnosed with carious lesions of milk teeth, and sometimes it can be detected up to 1 year.

The main task of parents is to maintain healthy teeth in their children and prevent the development of pain. An important place in the daily routine of the child should be given to learning how to properly care for both the teeth and the entire oral cavity (read " caries prevention in children ").

Reasons for the development of pathology

Caries is a pathological condition of the tissues of the tooth, which results in the appearance of lesions first, and after the cavity in it. In dentistry, there are many reasons that can provoke the development of caries:

The main and main reason that leads to damage to tooth enamel is considered to be non-compliance with elementary rules for cleaning teeth, as well as the use of a large amount of sugar-containing foods. Adults know that sucrose, fructose and glucose can be attributed to those types of acids formed during the fermentation of carbohydrates, and their effect on teeth leads to the destruction of enamel. The intake of many carbohydrates into the child's body ends up with a greatly reduced amount of saliva secreted. In addition, the food left in the teeth creates ideal conditions for the vital activity of bacteria, which causes the development of caries.

The development of the disease in young children may be associated with the use of nipples in an inappropriate way. For many parents, it is completely normal for a child to go to bed with a bottle in his mouth even when his teeth have already erupted. Many experts recommend not to give the child anything sweet at night, but to give only water. This is necessary because close contact of the enamel with sugary drinks causes the progression of caries in the front milk teeth in a child.

Among the variety of reasons that provoke the development of caries in children, one can single out a genetic factor. The laying and formation of teeth in the fetus begins even during its intrauterine development at the very beginning of pregnancy.

The development of dental caries at the age of up to 2 years can be explained by the fact that the baby's milk teeth erupted while still completely immature, and after that they simply matured in the oral cavity. Such immature teeth are characterized by a reduced degree of mineralization and it is in this state that they are most susceptible to caries.

There are a lot of reasons that provoke the development of caries in young children. Treatment of a decayed tooth will depend on the stage of development of caries and the individual characteristics of the child. It is in view of these features that it is important to identify such a dental disease as early as possible, therefore it is recommended to visit a pediatric dentist at least once every six months.

Symptoms of pathology

In children, caries can occur in several stages:

1. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, one can notice the formation of white spots on the enamel, and they can be of completely different sizes. With this condition of the tooth, the child does not yet experience pain, but this does not mean at all that treatment can not be carried out. If this destructive process is not eliminated in a timely manner, the resulting spots will begin to grow and change color, first to brown, and then to black. Taking into account these factors, it is necessary to start treating caries even when the disease has just begun to develop, which will avoid serious consequences (read also “ why does a child have plaque on his teeth ”).
2. The next stage in the development of caries is a superficial defect in the tissues of the tooth, the place of localization of which becomes the transcendental region of the enamel. In this case, the cavity formed as a result of caries has a light or brown color, and pain may occur during the use of products. With such a superficial defect, mandatory treatment is necessary, which involves the installation of a seal.
3. The average type of caries is characterized by damage to the tooth enamel and part of the dentin. With this pathological condition of the tooth, pain can occur when eating sweet and salty foods, as well as from sudden changes in temperature. Such caries needs mandatory treatment, during which a filling is installed for the child.
4. With deep caries, significant destruction of enamel and dentin is observed. When determining the method of treating such a disease, the specialist first assesses the condition of the pulp, after which he can use filling or conservative therapy.

In childhood, most often in the oral cavity, several milk teeth are affected at once, or carious cavities can develop in one tooth. Some physiological features of the structure of the child's tooth lead to the fact that there is a rapid transition of the destructive process to the surface of the adjacent tooth, and its destruction begins in depth.

Possible Complications

Caries is a disease that is best treated at the very beginning of its development. If the child does not receive the necessary drug therapy, then the risk of spreading various types of diseases in the oral cavity increases. One of the most complex and dangerous pathologies of the oral cavity is pulpitis, which is characterized by the development of an inflammatory process throughout the soft tissue of the tooth.

Another dangerous complication that can develop with the progression of caries is periodontitis. Such a disease is accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process on the tissues surrounding the tooth. It is possible to suspect the development of periodontitis in a child even when the child repeatedly complains of pain in the tooth area, especially when biting.

With such a disease, upon careful examination of the oral mucosa, one can notice the formation of a hole near the tooth, from which purulent contents are released. Periodontitis is a complex disease, the treatment of which is prescribed taking into account the stage of development of the destructive process and the general well-being of the child. Most often, with the development of periodontitis, the tooth is so affected that it is not possible to cure it, and in such a situation, the specialist prescribes its removal.

Features of the treatment of the disease

Today, the approach of parents to dental treatment in childhood is completely ambiguous. Many newly-made mothers and fathers believe that it is completely unnecessary to treat milk teeth, because they will all fall out sooner or later. However, this statement is not entirely correct, since the presence of affected teeth in the oral cavity can cause complications in the normal growth of permanent teeth, as well as provoke an exacerbation of other pathologies in the child's body. In such a situation, the removal of a milk tooth will be required, which is not a very pleasant procedure for a child.

Diagnosing caries at the very beginning of its development is unlikely to require tooth treatment, and, most likely, the specialist will limit himself to coating the enamel with a special fluoride varnish. After the child has permanent teeth, the dentist can perform fissure sealing, which helps to avoid the accumulation of bacterial plaque. When carrying out such a procedure, the dentist will perform a painless removal of pathological tissues and carry out a hermetic filling of the tooth. In the absence of effective treatment, the likelihood increases that the carious process will develop into pulpitis, and then into periodontitis.

One of the traditional methods of treating caries is the use of a drill, with the help of which cleaning is carried out both with the use of local anesthesia and without it. Only a specialist decides on the need to use anesthesia, taking into account the stage of tooth decay and the general condition of the child (read " anesthesia in dentistry ").

Practice shows that not every child is able to open his mouth in front of this dental apparatus and no persuasion works. Most often, this phenomenon occurs in babies and is accompanied by concomitant diseases. With such a development of the disease, the doctor may decide on the need to use anesthesia. It should not be forgotten that anesthesia is only one of the options for the treatment of dental caries and should only be used when necessary (read " dental treatment under anesthesia ").

Not the last place in the treatment of a child's teeth is occupied by the psychological factor, because many parents themselves are afraid to treat their teeth and this condition is necessarily indulged in their child. It is important in childhood to conduct explanatory conversations and tell why it is necessary to treat teeth.

Prevention of caries

Any disease is easier to prevent than to spend your energy on its treatment. To avoid the development of caries in childhood, you can follow a few simple rules:

• It is necessary to think about the prevention of caries in an unborn child even during its intrauterine development in the mother's body, as well as during breastfeeding. During pregnancy, women are advised to include as many calcium-rich foods as possible in their diet, as well as take special medications containing fluoride.
• An important place in the prevention of caries is the observance of hygienic rules for the care of the oral cavity. The child should have individual cutlery, and the nipple that has fallen on the floor must be rinsed with water, and not licked. All this helps to prevent the penetration of pathogens into the oral cavity, and thereby prevent the development of caries in children.
• We should not forget about the proper organization of nutrition in childhood, where the leading place should be occupied by foods with a high content of calcium. In addition, many experts recommend drinking vitamin D, the presence of which in the child's body contributes to better absorption of calcium.
• Sugar has a negative effect on the condition of the teeth, so its use in childhood should be limited. This is because sugar is the main food for streptococci, which cause the development of caries. The use of a large amount of sugar leads to the fact that pathogenic microorganisms secrete acid, which causes the development of caries.

To prevent caries in the child's oral cavity, parents should teach the baby from early childhood to proper dental care. It is important to visit the dentist at least once every six months, which will allow diagnosing the destructive process of teeth at an early stage.