|
AS THE saying goes, 'we are what we eat.' Good nutrition and a healthy
diet means healthy teeth in children and teens from conception to adulthood.
Many mothers are not aware that a lot of their children's teeth are already formed by
the time their baby is born. So it is essential for pregnant mothers to get enough of the
required nutrients, especially calcium. This can be obtained from drinking milk or taking
any other calcium supplements.
Young children also need lots of calcium to support the continuing growth of their
bones and permanent teeth. Children have a high metabolism meaning they may want to eat
snacks between meals. This should not cause any problem for their teeth as long as adults
make sure that the snacks are healthy.
Good choices in snacks include milk, cheese, fresh fruit, carrots, celery and peanuts.
Most parents do not realise that dried fruits and health bars are very high in sugar
and may help cause tooth decay. Too many starches, like potato chips and pretzel can also
be bad for teeth and add too much salt to the diet.
Parents can also help reduce early tooth decay by making sure they do not put a baby to
bed with a bottle of formula milk, juice or sugar water. This is because the sugar in
these liquids can quickly ruin your baby's smile.
One in five children is more prone to some type of accident that could cause injuries
to the teeth.
If a child becomes involved in such an injury he or she should be taken to the dentist
immediately. The dentist will then examine the injury through an X-ray if necessary and
then treat the tooth.
Here are some possible injuries and corresponding treatment a dentist will likely
perform:
- A small breakage of either a baby tooth or a permanent tooth can be filed down. If the
crack is deep, your dentist can use a toothcoloured material to fix it and also make it
look natural.
- A nerve that is exposed by a dental injury must be treated immediately. Your dentist
will, decide on the treatment based on the maturity of the tooth.
- The dentist will usually not treat a tooth which has been pushed up into the gums.
Usually the tooth will come out again by itself.'
- If a baby's tooth is knocked out of the mouth, do not try to place it back into the
socket. If a permanent tooth comes out completely, it is important to get to the dentist
within half an hour. During this time, the socket is generally still clear and the tooth
can be replanted.
After about 30 minutes, the socket begins to clot and it may not be possible to
reinsert the tooth. The tooth should be kept in milk or in the patient's own saliva until
he or she can get to the dentist.-SacomNews (Source: Milmed)
|
- ARTICLES