Do not treat dental caries. Caries of milk teeth in children and its treatment: what is important for parents to know. Classical caries treatment

Early caries can occur even at the stage of eruption in babies up to a year old. At the age of 4 to 7 years, caries of temporary teeth is diagnosed in 70% of children. As a rule, the pathological process does not affect the anterior milk teeth, but is localized at the ends of the dentition. Some parents do not attach importance to early caries of milk teeth, arguing that the teeth will soon fall out. This is the wrong approach. Caries in milk teeth in children is no less serious than the appearance of stains and carious cavities on permanent teeth.

Although the causes of caries in milk teeth are very different, pathogenic microorganisms are the main source. If insufficient attention is paid to the problem, the pathological process can spread deep into the tissues and cause complications. From this article you can find out why the disease develops and why babies need to be treated for teeth.

Features of the course of caries in a child

Early caries has differences in localization, depth and intensity. Currently, the following classification of carious diseases in children is used:

caries of milk teeth - observed in young children, starting from the moment the lower incisors appear;
caries of permanent teeth - diagnosed in children from the age of five (from the beginning of the change of permanent teeth).

Varieties according to the depth of the pathological process:

Initial - at this stage of development, you can notice a stain on the enamel. With timely seeking help, successful treatment is possible, since the pathological process has affected only the protective top layer.
Superficial - the spread of the disease occurs, but the dentin is not yet affected.
Medium - the surface of the enamel is completely destroyed, the pathological process spreads deep into hard tissues.
Deep - dentin is destroyed, caries reaches the pulp.

There is a classification according to the primacy of the disease:

primary;
secondary.

Depending on the rate of development, caries of temporary and permanent teeth has the following classification:

Compensated - the disease progresses very slowly or stops development.
Subcompensated - the pathological process develops for a long time, parents may not notice its presence in the child for a long time.
Acute - characterized by the rapid destruction of hard tissues of the tooth and is accompanied by severe pain. Toddlers refuse to eat, become capricious and restless.

Caries of milk teeth, as well as permanent ones, differs in localization and happens:

fissure;
approximal;
cervical;
circular.

Caries of milk teeth in young children can be both single and multiple or even generalized. In the latter case, manifestations of early caries can lead to sad consequences - in addition to the destruction of milk teeth, those teeth that have not yet grown may also suffer.

due to their characteristics, temporary teeth are subject to the rapid spread of the disease;
on children's teeth, caries can occur as a consequence of infectious diseases;
damage by caries of temporary teeth can be multiple;
the circular form of the disease is characteristic exclusively for children's caries;
often the disease does not manifest itself in any way, except for minor changes in hard tissues;
circular caries or another form of the disease can be diagnosed even in a one-year-old child shortly after the eruption of the first incisors.

Causes of caries in milk teeth

Many parents are sure that bad teeth in a child can only be because of sweets. If you reduce the consumption of sweets, then you can not worry about the health of the teeth of babies. In addition to the harmful effects of sugar, caries in young children can occur for the following reasons:

Caries in a one-year-old child develops due to improper oral care. Baby teeth also need to be taken care of. You can start taking care of them from 9 months, when the lower incisors come out. Often, if there is an accumulation of plaque on the enamel, parents do not attach it special significance. Due to the fact that the mineralization process lasts 2-3 years, the disease spreads rapidly, affecting the chewing and lateral surfaces (see also: how many milk teeth should a child have at 3 years old?).
A common cause of decay in temporary teeth is poor hygiene by parents who allow young children to eat with them in the same spoon. In the presence of carious cavities in the mouth of an adult, pathogenic microorganisms are transmitted to children.
Circular caries occurs due to a genetic predisposition. Taking medications and smoking during pregnancy adversely affect the formation of enamel and cause caries in temporary teeth.
The causes of caries of milk teeth include the use of medicines by children under 2 years of age. The development of early caries can be caused by a deficiency of fluoride or calcium in the diet.
The occurrence of deep caries of milk teeth occurs as a result of prolonged use of a bottle with a nipple. Bottle caries develops when all front teeth are affected.

The initial stage of the disease

Despite the fact that the changes in the enamel are quite noticeable, without sufficient experience it is difficult to recognize the signs of caries in temporary teeth. At first glance, the child's teeth look absolutely healthy, but in fact, the enamel begins to break down. The initial stage of caries of milk teeth is characterized by the appearance of white spots, different in shape and size. Over time, they change color, becoming dark brown or even black. In the photo for the article, you can see signs of the initial and advanced stages in a 5-year-old child.

Methods of treatment depending on age

Dentists often hear the question from parents - why treat baby teeth? Bad milk teeth will fall out, and when new ones grow, they will be beautiful and healthy (we recommend reading: what a fallen milk tooth looks like: photo). Timely treatment will help prevent serious consequences, such as the development of pulpitis, periodontitis, periostitis. In addition, an infected molar can grow in place of a bad one that has fallen out.

Treatment of caries in children begins with diagnosis. After a visual examination, the dentist decides on the choice of a caries treatment method based on the degree of tissue damage and the age of the patient. In any case, you will need A complex approach aimed at treatment and prevention at the same time.

Methodology for the treatment of children under two years of age

In the treatment of children under the age of two, methods such as silvering and deep fluoridation of enamel are used. These measures will help stop the pathological process at the initial stage. Mineralization is carried out in several stages, which complicates the treatment. It is difficult to make a baby in a year old sit with his mouth open for a long time. The disadvantage of silver plating is that the surface of the enamel becomes black.

For the treatment of caries of milk teeth, conservative treatment is used (for more details, see the article: Is silvering of milk teeth necessary in children?). The carious cavity is cleaned and sealed with light-curing materials. However, babies are often very afraid of the buzzing of working devices, which significantly complicates the work of the dentist.

A good alternative to traditional treatment is the use of chemical preparation. A special drug is injected into the carious cavity, which softens the layers of pathological formations. After that, with the help of hand tools, the cavity is cleaned and sealed. This method is used both for the treatment of babies from 1-2 years old, and for older patients - at the age of 3-6 years.

During treatment, babies must be anesthetized with local anesthesia. In some cases, for example, during removal, intravenous anesthesia is used.

Treatment of children older than 2 years

Superficial and medium caries on permanent teeth are treated by cleaning carious cavities with hand tools or at low speed drills. First, an anesthetic injection is given or an anesthetic is applied locally. The first visit to the dental office should not cause negative emotions the child, so that later he would go to the reception without fear. Colored composite materials are often used for fillings. The child himself chooses the color he likes, this will help relieve fear and arouse interest in treatment.

In many clinics equipped with modern equipment, various methods are used for treatment:

Chemical-mechanical method. It is a non-invasive method of opening carious cavities. A special solution is applied to the affected area, after a certain time, softened tissues are removed using a drill or hand tools.
Air-abrasive method. The carious cavity is opened and treated with a special composition, which is supplied under pressure. Processing is more precise, and the abrasive additive allows you to thoroughly clean the cavity.
Ultrasound. A feature of the method is the directed effect of ultrasonic waves on the affected area, which have the ability to break molecular bonds. The result of the use of ultrasound is an easy discharge of the treated tissues.
laser way. Refers to non-contact methods of therapy. The advantage of this technology is absolute sterility and the possibility of processing any surface.

The above methods help to cope with superficial, circular, cervical caries. For filling temporary teeth, modern fast-setting materials are usually used.

Prevention of caries in a child

Prevention of children's caries must be dealt with at the stage of planning and bearing a baby. Pregnant women are advised to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

Particular attention should be paid to the content of calcium, fluorine, phosphorus in food. It will also be necessary to take the necessary measures to prevent pathological conditions that may affect the development of the fetus.

In order to prevent, it is desirable to comply with the following conditions:

during the first six months, the child should be fed with mother's milk, complementary foods must be introduced strictly according to age and the composition and variety of the diet should be monitored;
prevention should include a general improvement of the body - long walks, preferably in the park;
gradually reduce the number of night feedings artificial feeding;
limit the use of sweets;
organize nutrition in such a way as to fully satisfy all the body's needs for vitamins and minerals;
it is recommended to purchase individual dishes and cutlery for the baby.

In order to combat childhood caries, attention should be paid to oral hygiene. Procedures should begin at the same time as the appearance of the first teeth. To clean off plaque, you need to use clean gauze dipped in water. It is wound around the finger and soft layers are carefully removed. This must be done after every meal.

You will also need to visit the dentist twice a year for preventive examinations. The doctor may advise smearing teeth with fluorine varnish or silvering.

Contrary to the opinion of some mothers, that milk teeth do not need to be treated, because they will fall out soon - caries found in the baby baby tooth should not be left to chance.

Healthy and intact milk teeth are the key to the appearance of healthy permanent teeth in a teenager, which means his self-confidence and a beautiful smile.

Today, dentistry has a variety of methods for the treatment of milk teeth.

Each child is individually selected safe, reliable and least painful for the child's psyche therapy option. It is much easier to treat initial caries, without filling and preparation, than to subject the child to complex procedures in the future with a deeply destroyed tooth.

Reasons for the appearance

Proved that main reason Carious destruction of milk teeth are microorganisms of the genus Streptococcus, which the baby, as a rule, first receives from the mother.

Bacteria can get into the child's mouth when sharing dishes with parents, when the mother licks a spoon or a nipple that has fallen to the ground, which is especially unacceptable during the eruption of milk teeth.

The first milk teeth of a child have a weak, delicate enamel, easily destroyed by a bacterial infection.

However, from the presence of streptococci in the saliva of the baby, caries of the milk tooth itself will not develop. The destruction of children's teeth, in addition, is due to a number of predisposing factors:

diet and eating habits;
cleanliness of the oral cavity;
the chemical composition of the child's saliva;
heredity;
the general health of the baby.

Especially conducive to caries sucking a bottle of sweet juice, compote, milk or other sugary drink.

Microorganisms feed on carbohydrates and actively multiply.

In the process of their vital activity, organic acids are released that accumulate on milk teeth in the form of plaque and corrode their fragile enamel.

Caries can occur regardless of whether a child is breastfed or bottle-fed. Normal, regular feeding does not contribute to the development of caries. The disease can be provoked by frequent and prolonged feeding at night in the absence of subsequent cleaning of the oral cavity.

So, the main reasons for the activation of microbes that cause caries of a milk tooth:

frequent and long night feedings with sweet food;
sucking on a nipple that has been previously dipped in sugar or jam;
neglect of hygienic care of the oral cavity after the child has taken food.

The child should receive sweets as little as possible, and after eating, you need to teach him to rinse his mouth. Or give unsweetened water to drink if it is still very small.

First signs

Typically, caries in children is found first on the anterior incisors.

Carious foci of various sizes and shapes look like white, reddish or yellowish spots. This is the so-called "spot stage".

The affected areas can be located on the cervical zone of the tooth, on the lateral surfaces in contact with each other, or cover its entire crown. At the spot stage, the child still does not have any sensations.

If no treatment is carried out, then the process progresses, light spots darken, and the stage of superficial tooth decay begins. Carious spots grow and gradually cavities form in their place. This stage is characterized by the following features:

the surface of the spot becomes rough;
enamel softens;
the tooth becomes sensitive to sweet, sour, hot and cold.

The carious spot gradually covers the entire thickness of the enamel, forming a small, and then a deep hole. When caries passes to the dentin layer, the tooth begins to hurt.

Caries on the incisors

Thus, the following first signs are characteristic of caries:

Spots on the tooth.
Pain and sensation changes.
Involvement in the carious process of several milk teeth at once. In addition, several lesions can form in one tooth. For early age, due to the weakness of tooth enamel, multiple caries is characteristic.
An unpleasant smell, which is the result of the vital activity of bacteria. Under their influence, lingering food remains rot in the child's mouth.

The task of parents is to regularly (at least once a week) examine their baby's teeth and pay attention to unusual spots that suddenly appear on them. At this stage, it is still possible to prevent further development diseases and cure a tooth without a drill.

Kinds

Depending on the localization, external symptoms and the depth of destruction of dental tissues, caries of milk teeth can be classified into several types.

Initial caries

Caries always begins with a "spot stage", first light, then dark. Gradually, the spots darken and increase.

Superficial caries

This type of pathology is characterized by enamel defects. The child feels mild pain when eating sweet or sour foods.

Medium caries

Characterized by severe pain in the affected tooth when exposed to cold water or sweet food. The carious process destroys the enamel and passes to the dentin (the inner layer of dental tissue that lies under the enamel).

In a diseased tooth, a cavity with a loose dark bottom and uneven edges is clearly visible.

deep caries

This is the most dangerous view diseases. All layers of enamel and most of the dentin are affected. The tooth hurts almost constantly, the child is naughty, cries and refuses to eat.

"Bottle" caries

This pathological process got its name due to the fact that it owes its appearance to the bottle from which a small child receives food or drinks.

This type of caries develops in children, starting with the appearance of the first milk teeth.

Bottle caries affects primarily the front teeth, because they are in contact with sweet milk mixtures and juices. Rapidly progressing, both in terms of breadth and depth, this pathological process easily passes to adjacent teeth.

Only an experienced doctor can determine; it is almost impossible to independently identify a destructive process. With early diagnosis, you can do without drilling teeth.

Read about how to treat swollen gums in a child.

With pulpitis, the tooth can hurt very much. With such symptoms, you should immediately consult a dentist so as not to lose a tooth and prevent the development of dangerous processes. Follow the link to learn all about the symptoms and treatment of pulpitis.

Circular caries

This is a variant of the bottle, when the latter develops in the cervical region of the anterior milk teeth and partially or completely surrounds the crown.

Circular caries begins on the frontal surface of the milk tooth in the region of its neck, and then covers the entire circumference of the crown and deepens.

Due to reduced children's immunity, circular caries of milk teeth often occurs without signs of inflammation.

As a result of the impact of a destructive pathological process, the crown of the tooth breaks off, and pulpitis begins - inflammation of the dental nerve.

Usually the pulp of a milk tooth dies asymptomatically, and only on x-ray you can detect running chronic periodontitis.

Multiple, or "blooming" caries

By virtue of chemical composition enamel of milk teeth, the pathological process easily passes from one tooth to another; in young children, almost the entire dentition is often affected by the disease.

Usually, a multiple type of caries occurs in babies with a weakened immune system, premature babies, patients with rickets or tuberculosis.

This type of caries can develop in children who have had an infectious disease (measles, scarlet fever, tonsillitis, mumps).

Multiple and circular types of caries are a rather serious problem, so you can’t start the disease to irreparable consequences.

In addition to dental treatment, you may need the help of an immunologist, pediatrician and endocrinologist.

Treatment of caries of a milk tooth

With initial caries, when one enamel is damaged, remineralization is usually sufficient. Demineralized areas are first cleaned without the use of a drill, and then a varnish is applied to them, restoring the enamel.

The ICON method is also widely used. The damaged area of the tooth is covered with a special composition. It fills the pores formed by caries and hardens.

Caries treatment using ICON technology

When the enamel is destroyed and the destruction of the dentin begins, the carious area is excised, disinfected and filled with a filling. Cleaning a carious hole in many clinics is done with a jet of a special substance, without a drill.

Some dental offices use a laser. The appointment of laser cleaning of the carious cavity should be made taking into account the age of the patient and the picture of the disease.

There are cases when there is no point in treating a milk tooth: if caries has developed on an already loose tooth and has a sluggish course.

Complications

A carious tooth is a source of infection, and with a decrease in immunity, for example, with a cold, it can give complications to such organs:

ears - otitis;
throat - tonsillitis;
nose - runny nose, sinusitis;
periostitis - inflammation of the periosteum;
osteomyelitis - inflammation of the bone and bone marrow.

Untreated caries of a milk tooth can cause underdevelopment or death of the rudiment of a permanent one that develops above it.

The loss of the chewing function of several teeth leads to malocclusion, indigestion and a deterioration in the general well-being of the child.

There are several. Superficial defects of the tooth often go unnoticed, but the disease is already beginning to progress up to the decay of the tooth.

Want to know which medications help relieve gum disease? Read.

Prevention

What can parents do to prevent caries in children?

Limit sweets and increase the amount of hard vegetables and fruits in the children's diet.
Do not give the baby a "sweet" nipple so that he falls asleep faster.
Bottle feeding should not last longer than 15 minutes - during this time the child will have enough time to get enough.
With the advent of the first milk tooth, teach the child to oral hygiene: teach him to rinse his mouth after eating, for starters, take water into his mouth and spit it out. While the baby does not know how to rinse his mouth, give unsweetened warm water to drink after eating.
Every day, dairy products and greens should be present on the children's table.
Teach your child about oral hygiene. The baby will be less likely to get caries if one of the adults brushes his teeth before the age of 7.

The best motivation for dental hygiene is parental example.

A photo

Having found caries of a milk tooth in a child, you should immediately contact a pediatric dentist. The doctor will decide how to treat the tooth, and how to make the treatment convenient for the baby. It must be remembered that the health of children's teeth depends entirely on the responsibility of adults, on how parents will protect and care for them.

Caries of the incisors

Damage to the upper milk incisors

About the causes of caries of a milk tooth

Experts believe that caries of milk teeth occurs due to damage to the rudiments of teeth in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. A woman's illness during this period, her medication, smoking can adversely affect the development of the fetus's teeth.

Another main cause of tooth decay can be improper or insufficient oral hygiene of the baby. Negatively affects the health of the teeth and long-term use of pacifiers, nipples. Babies who cannot go without a bottle are at risk for bottle cavities. Constant contact with the sweet mixture leads to damage to the front teeth of the baby.

Advice from a dentist.

The consumption of sweets in unlimited quantities, snacking on them between meals also contribute to the development of caries in milk teeth. Chocolate should be preferred to marshmallows, marmalade, cookies, bagels, fruits, and after eating them, teach the child to immediately rinse his mouth.

So, let's look at the causes of caries in more detail.

In the appearance of caries in a child, no matter how strange it may sound, the parents themselves may be to blame. Caries is an infection. A loving parent can be a carrier of carious germs. Often having lunch, parents, without thinking about it, use the same spoon with the baby. As a result, infection occurs.
genetic predisposition. The development of teeth begins in the womb. If a negligent mother abused smoking or suffered any diseases during this period, then this increases the risk of abnormal development of teeth.
The reason for early caries may be that milk teeth have a reduced degree of mineralization. They cut through “immature” and their ripening occurs already in the oral cavity. The term of final mineralization is from one and a half to two years, in permanent teeth about three years. This period is considered the most vulnerable. Dentists warn that during the period of "ripening", the teeth are most susceptible to this unpleasant disease.
Another reason for the occurrence of caries at an early age lies in the protracted breastfeeding. The fact is that when sucking, children do not use their teeth, therefore, saliva does not fall on them, as, for example, when chewing.
Reduced immunity of the child plays an important role in the development of caries. The weakening of the body's resistance occurs due to viral or infectious disease(SARS, acute respiratory infections, tonsillitis, rotovirus infection) or due to systemic diseases of the baby (for example, diabetes). With a weakened immune system, the secretion of specific protective elements - immunoglobulins - into the saliva decreases. It is they who do not allow pathogenic microbes to multiply, which release toxins and acidic products into saliva that change its pH.
Changes in the biochemistry of saliva. Saliva production may decrease significantly and viscosity increase. In addition, it loses the ability to fulfill its main purpose - to wash off accumulated plaque and reduce the acidic environment. In an acidic environment, saliva loses its ability to remineralize, i.e. "transport" calcium to the teeth.
Night feedings. Most parents face the problem of night feeding. The child wakes up at night to eat. After feeding, he immediately falls asleep. The remains of the mixture, milk or porridge remain on the teeth. At this point, active fermentation of carbohydrates contained in food residues by bacteria begins. Acid is released, which negatively affects the enamel. Enamel acquires a rough and porous structure. During sleep, salivation is minimal. The allocated amount is not enough to wash off plaque and food debris, while neutralizing the acids of bacteria.
The appearance of "bottle" caries can contribute to the dental problems of the parents. The baby is sterile after birth. The first bacteria enter the body during the first breath. The mother's first kiss endows the child's body with a bacterial flora that populates the entire oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. This process is completely normal. Thanks to this, the body receives the natural flora and the baby develops immunity.
With numerous problems with the teeth of parents (carious destruction, gum problems and insufficient oral hygiene), the child risks getting pathogenic flora. It has a destructive effect on tooth enamel, and the baby’s fragile body is not able to fully fight it. That is why doctors strongly recommend that all parents solve all their dental problems when planning a child: fill or remove teeth, eliminate caries.

Stages of caries of milk teeth

Carious disease in children develops in stages. Depending on the degree of damage, 4 main stages are distinguished:

initial caries. Detecting the disease at this stage is quite difficult. White spots form on the enamel, which subsequently begin to darken.
superficial caries. Pain begins to appear when eating sweets, sour vegetables or fruits, that is, enamel sensitivity is noted.
Medium caries. Dentin is affected. The child feels severe pain, the affected tooth reacts to hot and cold.
Deep caries. Tooth enamel and dentin are largely damaged. At this stage, the pathological process goes very quickly, threatening pulpitis - inflammation of the dental pulp.

In pediatric dentistry, the following types of caries of milk teeth are distinguished:

Multiple caries is a process that covers from 8 to 20 milk teeth. It is provoked by such serious diseases as scarlet fever, tonsillitis, measles, chronic bronchitis, tonsillitis.
Cervical children's caries. It occurs due to the thinness of the layer of tooth enamel. Areas of the tooth near the gums are affected. Most often this is due to insufficient cleaning of the teeth.
Circular caries. Often found in premature babies, "artificial", as well as hypertrophy, rickets. In this case, as a rule, the upper frontal teeth are exposed to the disease.

About the treatment of caries of milk teeth

Regarding application folk remedies the fight against childhood caries (for example, rinsing the mouth with herbal decoctions, taking various fees inside) - all this is just preventive measures but by no means curative.

Treatment of caries in children is not easy, because it is well known that children are afraid of dental drills and strangers especially when they are in white coats. Not always the child allows the doctor to properly restore the damaged tooth. Unfortunately, without a drill, you can only deal with superficial caries. Therefore, the conclusion is simple: the disease should never be started.

Techniques for the treatment of milk teeth without drilling

Ozone treatment. With the help of ozone, microorganisms that destroy tooth enamel are killed.
Remineralization. Preparations based on fluorine, calcium are applied to the diseased tooth; gels or varnishes.
Air-abrasive processing. Affected areas are treated with sandblasting machines.
Laser treatment. Does not cause any discomfort to small patients. Bacteria are destroyed under the influence of a laser.
infiltration method. A special gel is applied to the area affected by caries. It splits tooth enamel, then this area is treated with alcohol and polymer resin.
Silvering. On the surface of the tooth, the doctor creates a film of 30% silver nitrate solution. Silver contributes to the cessation of the development of caries of a milk tooth, since it has a powerful antibacterial effect.

Prevention of diseases of milk teeth

The expectant mother should remember about the prevention of caries in children's teeth from the very first days of pregnancy. Firstly, in order to prevent a disease in a child, a woman should take multivitamin complexes; preparations containing calcium; and secondly - to monitor the health of their own teeth. No wonder a visit to the dentist is a must in the first and last trimester of pregnancy. The doctor examines the woman's oral cavity, entering all the information about the condition of her teeth into the exchange card. If necessary, treatment is carried out.

A small child from the age of 2 should be taught to brush their teeth twice a day. At the same time, he should have an individual brush and a special children's paste (usually it has a pleasant smell and taste). If the child is not yet able to rinse his mouth and spit, fluoride-containing pastes should not be used.

The formation of permanent teeth takes up to three years, so watch your baby's diet: it must contain eggs, milk, kefir, cottage cheese, fish, cereals, nuts, and legumes.

Milk teeth are very fragile in their structure, so caries when exposed adverse factors can occur even in crumbs younger than 2 years. Treatment at this age can cause great difficulties, so parents must constantly pay attention to the prevention of caries.

Alina Lopatkina:

During our childhood, the diagnosis of caries in young children was quite rare, and now more and more children are exposed to this disease. It is also called "bottle" or poetically - "blooming". Actually, this is a big problem. Its danger is that the development of the disease occurs very quickly, almost lightning fast. In a matter of weeks, the infection can completely affect milk teeth, which until recently looked quite healthy and white.

The initial stage of caries - White spot on the surface of the enamel - it is difficult to notice at home on your own. Most often, parents discover alarming symptoms when the teeth are already sufficiently affected and there are dark areas on the front surface of the tooth. Unfortunately, in this case often treatment is already needed and sometimes immediate. After all, a running process can adversely affect the root of a milk tooth and the germ of a permanent one.

Caries in children is an unpleasant dental disease. The formation of holes and the destruction of milk teeth can be stopped if measures are taken in time: brush your teeth thoroughly, monitor nutrition, and use calcium tablets along with vitamin D3. And also give the gums a full load: chew carrots and pumpkins, apples and cabbages. To ensure a full blood supply and prevent the appearance of caries in the molars. If caries of milk teeth has already formed, it is necessary to consult a dentist for advice and treatment. Treatment of caries in children is carried out as needed. If the milk tooth is already loose, there is no point in filling it. If a stain appears on a strong milk tooth, treatment will prevent its further destruction. Let us consider in detail how children's caries is formed. What is the treatment of caries in children. And what to do so that milk teeth do not collapse.

The strength of milk teeth is laid during pregnancy. Often the first child has healthy incisors and fangs, while the second baby's teeth are destroyed as soon as they appear. During intrauterine development, he received less calcium, the entire supply of his mother was used up during the first pregnancy. Therefore, caries of milk teeth often develops in the second child.

Lack of calcium is the first cause of the disease. The second reason is the presence of acidic microflora in the child's mouth. How is the violation of the microflora in the oral cavity formed?

The main source of saliva acidification in the mouth is carbohydrate and protein foods. Carbohydrates begin to be digested in the oral cavity, and form an acidic environment. Also, food residues are involved in the formation of pathogenic flora: pieces of sweets or meat. Thus, on food residues, the reproduction of pathogenic flora, anaerobic bacteria. As a result of their vital activity, acid is released, which corrodes the enamel and dentin, and forms holes. This is how children's caries is formed.

The third reason that contributes to the destruction of dental tissues in children is indigestion. If a child is diagnosed with gastritis, inflammation of the liver, if the baby has a hereditary predisposition to gastric diseases, the composition of his saliva will form a plaque on the enamel in the form of brown or yellow spots. Under these spots, the first carious cavities will form. In turn, caries provokes the further development of gastrointestinal diseases. The carious cavity becomes a source of infection of the stomach. In addition, pain interferes with the thorough chewing of food. Food enters the digestive organs poorly crushed, which forms gastritis and inflammation.

Lack of calcium, food debris between the teeth and internal diseases are the main causes of childhood caries.

Treatment of milk caries

Caries of milk teeth requires mandatory treatment if the incisor or canine is not yet loose. If a root tooth is already forming under a holey tooth, there is no point in treatment. In the next few months, it will fall out and a new one will appear in its place. If a loose tooth is very disturbing with its pain, it is removed. The roots of the milk incisor or canine are already absent by the time of loosening (they dissolve when a new molar tooth is formed in the gum).

Therefore, the removal of a loose milk tooth is easy and does not require anesthesia.

If the tooth is not loose, childhood caries should be treated as early as possible. There are several stages in the development of caries in children.

Children's caries is often the result of a lack of calcium in the first three months of pregnancy.

For example, even before conception, a calcium deficiency was formed, or severe toxicosis was disturbing at the beginning of gestation.

It is necessary to treat milk caries in one and a half to two years. The earlier tooth decay is detected, the easier it is to treat. At first, the tooth does not hurt, it can be treated with silver and caries can be stopped. Treatment of milk teeth prevents the spread of caries to permanent permanent teeth.

Alternative Treatments

The latest dentistry takes into account the desire of children and parents to treat their teeth without pain. For this, new methods of caries treatment have been developed. They do not require the use of a drill, are painless and very effective. New methods of treatment are called alternative.

Silvering. This method is used to treat milk teeth. Silver leaves a persistent gray coating on the enamel, which does not always suit adult patients.
Remineralization or saturation of enamel with minerals of calcium, sodium. Treatment of a child consists in applying a mineral paste to the chewing surface with initial caries. This type of treatment is the longest. It takes several months. Minerals from the paste gradually penetrate into the dentin and saturate it. The tooth acquires hardness and strength.
Ozone therapy— is based on the disinfecting properties of ozone. This modification of oxygen completely destroys carious bacteria. Treatment is possible in the initial stage of the disease, since ozone does not effectively penetrate deep carious cavities.
Depophoresis- an effective method of treating deep caries in a child. It consists in the following: a medicine is injected into the carious cavity (contains copper and calcium hydroxide). The medicine is distinguished by its ability to penetrate into channels of any small size and disinfect them. Together with hydroxide, a weak electricity. In order not to frighten the child with tingling in the gums (during the passage of electrical impulses), the tooth is anesthetized.
Photodynamic therapy— uses photographic materials and a laser. Medicinal substances are applied to the diseased tooth and shine through with a laser.

Prevention of caries in children

Caries in children can be prevented and stopped with the right preventive measures.

1. Oral hygiene. From a young age, the child should be taught to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth after eating. A good habit of not snacking between meals, not chewing cookies or a sandwich on the go will affect not only strong incisors and fangs, but also the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The absence of food residues in the mouth, normal microflora will not leave a chance for carious bacteria.

2. Correctly good nutrition . The child should receive a daily dose of vitamins, trace elements, carbohydrates and proteins with food. For those living in polluted regions, major cities it is necessary to give the child calcium containing vitamin D3 (it ensures the full absorption of calcium). From an adequate amount of calcium in younger age(from one to five years) depends on the health of future molars.

3. Reasonable Restrictions. It is necessary to strictly limit the amount of sweets, cakes, chocolates and other sweets that the baby eats per day. Better to do without them altogether. But if there are compassionate grandmothers nearby, you need to set clear boundaries: no more than one or two sweets a day. It is also necessary to limit various carbonated drinks. They, along with sugar, wash calcium out of bones and teeth.

. Chewing load ensures normal blood flow in the gums. Why is this important? The blood carries the cells nutrients, oxygen, trace elements. With increased blood flow, each cell receives more of the substances it needs. This is how children's caries is prevented. Chewing hard vegetables (carrots, cabbages, pumpkins) is a kind of gymnastics and massage for dental tissues and gums. Therefore, with the advent of the first incisor, the child is given a piece of an apple, a peeled carrot, a cabbage stalk.

5. Periodic dental visits(every three months).

6. Rejection of bad habits. If there is a smoking dad in the house, the child receives children's caries "as a gift" from his father's cigarettes. Tobacco enters the body of the baby along with the inhaled air. The nicotine in tobacco destroys calcium.

Mineral complexes against caries

Indirectly, the need to take artificial minerals can be judged by the condition of the child's nails. If they are brittle and dull, then calcium-containing supplements should be taken.

It is important to know that according to the daily biorhythms of a person, calcium is absorbed in the evening hours. Therefore, the most effective reception calcium preparations - in the evening, after 16-00. The most complete dinner for a child - cottage cheese casserole, syrniki, cheese mass, ryazhena, kefir, cheese and milk. In addition, these are protein products, they are absorbed in the intestines for a long time. So, their full splitting occurs after the evening meal.

Calcium is not synthesized in the human body. At the same time, it performs several important functions: it regulates blood pressure, blood clotting, and ensures the transmission of nerve impulses. With insufficient intake of the mineral, it is washed out of the bones and teeth. The lack of calcium in dental tissues becomes the basis for the development of caries.