Oral health is of great importance to everyone, including children and adults. Because if dental disease appears, it not only affects aesthetics but also affects the position of teeth in the future, especially in young children. However, young children are very susceptible to tooth decay because their tooth enamel is still quite weak and is easily attacked by bacteria.
Therefore, parents are often very worried about a 4-year-old child with molar tooth decayhow to fix it. Understanding the concerns of parents, this article will bring some information about this issue, don’t miss it.
4-year-old child has molar cavities
Molar teeth plays the most important role in children’s baby teeth, taking on the task of chewing and crushing food best in the teeth for the body to absorb. These are also the hardest teeth among baby teeth and are located deep inside the jaw. Because of this, parents often neglect and do not observe their children’s molars, allowing the decay to progress silently until it becomes severe before showing symptoms of pain.
Normally, it is difficult to detect decay in the molar by looking at it without specialized dental tools. Therefore, parents are very worried and do not know what to do if their 4-year-old child has molar tooth decay.
In addition, there are many beliefs that baby teeth in young children will also be replaced by permanent teeth, so there is no need to worry. However, this is a misconception because a 4-year-old child is not yet at the age to change teeth. If the decay is severe, it can affect the pulp, make teeth difficult to grow in the future, and the decay may recur.
Causes of 4-year-old baby having molar cavities
To know what to do if a 4-year-old child has molar cavities Parents should learn about the causes of tooth decay. Molar tooth decay is common in 4-year-old children for many different reasons. Among them, in children, it is mainly due to habits that cause tooth decay.
The habit of eating a lot of foods rich in sugar and starch, such as milk, soft drinks, candy, chocolate, ice cream,… increases tooth decay in children. Because sugar and dyes from these foods coat teeth, damage tooth enamel, creating conditions for bacteria to attack. Over time, the more plaque accumulates, the more tooth enamel erodes, leading to tooth decay.
In addition, there are still many other causes and factors that cause tooth decay in a 4-year-old child jaw:
- Do not drink enough water
- Genetics
Signs of tooth decay in a 4-year-old child jaw
Molar teeth are located deep inside so it can be difficult to observe, so when children complain of pain, sensitivity or difficulty chewing inside the jaw, parents should take the child for a dental checkup:
- Cayed teeth show black spots and small holes on the teeth
- Teeth are less discolored than neighboring teeth, because cavities often have darker colors
- Swollen gums. Because the molars are located inside the cheeks, some cases of swelling appear on the outside of the cheeks
- Difficulty chewing when eating and drinking
- Teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods
- Bad breath
What should a 4-year-old child with molar tooth decay do?
When the child shows some of the above symptoms or is uncomfortable, parents should take the child to the dentist for a check-up and examination depending on the condition that the doctor recommends the most appropriate tooth decay treatment method for your baby.
- Treatment of mild tooth decay: usually the condition is just starting to decay, the cavity is still shallow, the doctor performs remineralization of the cavity to preserve the child’s real teeth. Remineralization is done with specialized dental materials to replace black holes caused by tooth decay. This prevents bacteria from continuing to attack while still ensuring Protect children’s chewing function
- Treatment of small cavities: Remineralization is only performed for small cavities on teeth, and fillings must be performed to prevent cavities from spreading and affecting surrounding teeth teeth, scale and scrape out the decay to remove remaining bacteria.
- Treatment of severe tooth decay: This situation is undesirable because the tooth must be removed Removing teeth early causes the gums to shrink and make it difficult for permanent teeth to grow, easily affecting the jaw structure, causing the teeth to grow crooked and crooked. If the infection and decay reach the pulp and are not removed, the bacteria destroy many other tooth structures.
Prevention of molar tooth decay in 4-year-old children
Prevention of molar tooth decay in 4-year-old children is necessary, whether the child is 4 years old or at any age. Because teeth are aesthetic and the ability to grow teeth later Mothers should guide and educate children about the importance of oral health and proper care.
- Create a habit of brushing and oral hygiene for children at least twice a day before going to bed in the evening and in the morning after waking up.
- Instruct children to brush their teeth properly to remove plaque and bacteria in the oral cavity without damaging the gums or bleeding gums.
- Observe children when they brush their teeth until they are 7 years old. Because young children are not aware of the role of brushing their teeth, if parents do not supervise them, they will brush their teeth carelessly or not at all.
- The toothpaste chosen for children must be age-appropriate, especially containing fluoride to enhance tooth protection.
- Choose an age-appropriate toothbrush, small head, soft bristles.
- Practice the habit of drinking water after meals
- Instruct your child to use salt water to gargle to increase disinfection, prevent bacteria, and remove plaque from teeth.
- Control your child’s diet with adequate nutrients, especially calcium-rich foods. vitamins,… TermPreparing children to eat sweets, high in sugar, starch, and grease.
- Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups and dental checkups every 3-6 months. This helps to control dental conditions as well as promptly intervene and treat oral diseases, the most common of which is tooth decay.
Hopefully the information in the article helps parents reduce their worries and know how to fix what to do when a 4-year-old child has molar tooth decay. Wishing your baby and his family the best dental health to increase confidence in life and study situations. If you are still worried, do not hesitate to contact My Auris dentistry via hotline 0906 038 017 for the most detailed advice and answers.
Anh Thy
