Caries in children: when it appears and how to solve it

Caries is the most common chronic childhood disease that can appear in milk teeth. It originates because the natural bacteria in the mouth feed on the remains of food that remain on the surface of the teeth and release acids that end up destroying the layers of dental tissue.

At first the decay is not bothersome, but when it reaches the nerve it causes great pain. Find out below when caries appears in children and why.

When does caries appear in children and why does it occur?

When the child’s first milk teeth begin to appear, a cavity known as baby bottle tooth decay may begin to appear. In children between 6 months and 5 years, its origin is in the intake of sugars and the bad habit of sleeping with the bottle in the mouth.

In children over 5 years of age there are other factors that together can cause caries, and they are:

• The presence of bacteria in the mouth
• The susceptibility of tooth enamel
• Eat too many sweets or sugary drinks
• Having poor oral hygiene

How to solve the problem of caries in children?

At the Gallardo & Jiménez Dental Clinic we have a pediatric dentistry service, which is the branch specialized in oral health for children. Here we solve caries problems in children, either in milk teeth or in permanent teeth. The treatment will be different depending on whether the children’s teeth are permanent or temporary.

For children who are between 2 and 5 years old and have milk teeth, we will perform treatments such as fillings or pulpectomies to remove the damaged pulp. In this way we will prevent the final teeth from coming out with any problem.

In children between the ages of 6 and 12 who already have permanent teeth, different dental treatments can be done depending on the level of severity of the caries. If not affected much we will make a filling. But if the decay has damaged the nerve, a root canal can be done or the tooth can even be extracted.

How can we prevent children from suffering from cavities?

The most important measure to prevent our children from having cavities is with good daily dental hygiene. Get your children used to brushing their teeth correctly after each meal and that will reduce the incidence of cavities by up to 50%.

Contact our dental clinic for more information.

Dra. Tatiana Gallardo Jiménez

Ortodoncista especializada en estética dental, ortodoncia y endodoncia, con un amplio bagaje profesional siempre aportando el mejor tratamiento posible, donde te acompañaremos durante todo tu proceso para que te sientas cómodo y seguro.